I really enjoyed Nobody Told Me Dragons use Libraries by Lindsey Devin, the name a team of writers co author under.
This makes for an inconsistency in the writing by books I find listed under this name, however this story is worth reading.
It’s well paced, the characters are engaging and the dialogue is very cleverly executed. This is what i hope to get when I reach out for more of their content.
Librarian Artemis and Dragon Arthur are both very endearing and relatable characters. Each one has their own individual struggles with their respective parents, Artemis with her toxic relationship with her parents and Arthur with his memories of his father and his role as the head of the clan. How the authors are able to genuinely understand and express their love and respect for each other and their knowledge of literature is one of my favorite things about the book.
The relationship between Arthur and Artemis is believable and builds upon true feelings and a great dynamic between intelligent people who respect each other.
This is a low heat romance that waits until the end for any kind of romantic love.
There’s wonderfully endearing side characters that I could have enjoyed watching more of.
This was just lacking a bit of world building but overall it is a great paranormal romance and adventure story. Intelligent, engaging and very well written.
Or that one of them would ruin her filing system and her entire life plan.
She’s the head librarian who alphabetizes her trauma.
He’s the dragon alpha who crash-landed into her carefully ordered world ten minutes before closing.
Neither expected a thunderstorm, an ancient mystery, or feelings too big to fit on an index card.
✨ Perfect for readers who love: cozy chaos, grumpy/sunshine energy, nerd x nerd fated mates, and dragons who say “please” when they destroy your cataloguing system ✨ and for all the AuDHD readers, pattern-brained people, and anyone who organises their feelings into a spreadsheet.
Things are getting complicated in the small town of Tranquility. The Dragon Diner is extremely busy, trying to expand with its roof elf designed garden dining area and new magic mushroom recipes.
But first, the Elf Queen is coming to town, Rylana’s best friend, the elven assassin Sylin is being hunted down by elves, Rylana and dragon chef Jildarin have just been informed that they are going to be evicted from the place where the diner is by their landlord and magical mushrooms need to be found.
All in a day’s work for this group.
It’s a story full of tangled feelings, a few mysteries (mostly about family), mushrooms and things that glow, and a slow burn romance that might finally get a tiny bit more heat. But not much.
And it’s a cozy fantasy so everyone knows that it works out well.
Adorable and still very interesting. Love the characters.
Tales from the Dragon Diner (5 book series to date)
Retired mercenary Rylana and the dragon chef Jildarin are on the hunt for enchanted morels in the hope of enticing the visiting elf queen to their diner. But more than a desire for mushrooms has brought the queen to the city of Tranquility.
For some reason, she has her people searching for Rylana’s best friend, the elven assassin Sylin.
Even as Rylana worries about her comrade, a new problem thrusts its way into her path. Despite the Dragon Diner’s newfound success, their landlord has decided to evict them. After all that Rylana and Jildarin have built together, will they be forced to close the business?
I found this writer through a marvelous fantasy short story and shortly thereafter this incredible fantasy series.
Starting with the richly crafted universe of librarians fleeing a newly fallen Empire and the mythical creatures that either accompany them or welcome them into their new lives, The Spellshop begins our adventures with a revolution and librarian Kiela, her companion, the sentient spider plant Cas, and as many magical books as she can carry, fleeing the Capital.
For a cozy fantasy adventure, I love that the author has given us a main character who’s personality isn’t automatically endearing. Kiela has spent the last years of her life withdrawing into her job, her cubicle and all the books she’s in charge of in her sector, Cas being her only companion and daily interaction.
Then, in a horrifying moment, they have to flee for their lives.
I’ve often wondered what it must have been like for the great libraries of Alexandria to have burned and my heart hurts. It’s no less painful to feel what Kiela and Cas go through here.
Durst’s emotionally rendered scenes and vivid moments are so well done that I could visualize them myself.
Once Kiela decides that she and Cas will be safe on the faraway island that was once home, the character development grows stronger as she learns to deal and become part of the otherworldly community she originally came from.
It’s found family, magical creatures, slow burn romance and just a fantastic story about friendships, finding home and family if you let yourself.
I love the characters and story. The universe is one I’m thrilled to share and happily ready to continue with the next novel. It has to do with Cas, so it’s important that this book be read first.
Highly recommended.
And that beautiful cover. So incredibly well designed.
Richly gorgeous cover by artist Lulu Chen and designer Esther Kim
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY AND INDIE BESTSELLER!
A #1 LibraryReads pick!
An Indie Next pick!
The Spellshop is the romantasy debut by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.
Join Kiela the librarian and her assistant, Caz the sentient spider plant, as they navigate the low stakes market of illegal spellmaking and the high risk business of starting over.
“Sarah Beth Durst is the hidden gem of the fantasy world.” —Book Riot
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.
She and her assistant, Caz, a magically sentient spider plant, have spent the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. But when a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz save as many books as they can carry and flee to a faraway island Kiela was sure she’d never return to: her childhood home. Kiela hopes to lay low in the overgrown and rundown cottage her late parents left her and figure out a way to survive without drawing the attention of either the empire or the revolutionaries. Much to her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town neglected and in a state of disrepair.
The empire, for all its magic and power, has been neglecting for years the people who depend on magical intervention to maintain healthy livestock and crops. Not only that, but the very magic that should be helping them has been creating destructive storms that have taken a toll on the island. Due to her past role at the library, Kiela feels partially responsible for this, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right: by opening the island’s first-ever secret spellshop.
Her plan comes with risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the kind and quirky townspeople of her former home, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must learn to break down the walls she has built up so high.
Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.
I love Sara Bourgeois’s many different paranormal murder mystery series, whether it’s situated in the Arizona desert mountains or in a small NW Pacific coastal town. Whether a woman has inherited a ghost filled desert ranch or a seaside bookstore or witchy herb shop that’s accompanied by a cat familiar, whatever the location or inheritance, the characters and community are intriguing, plot and character development well written, and the series one that expands into a ever deeper layered narrative and leads to wonderful relationships and even more mysteries.
This is our introduction to Rowan Page, her inherited bookstore, Quill & Tide, the familiar, cat Moss, and the very interesting seaside town of Willow Cove, where things are brewing. Murder and plenty of mystery to go around with the charm and quirky community.
Her aunt’s presence is still there, and magic is winding its way into Rowan’s life.
Bourgeois has, through her other series, kept her characters layered, even the murder mysteries, from victims to villains, have dimensions that have a reader feeling about them from multiple perspectives. There’s a sense of realness in their behaviors that makes us able to understand them, if not condone their actions.
Even for a urban fantasy or paranormal murder mystery novel, having the author write characters that a reader would find engaging and relatable, even while we laugh at the “nosiness” make this a series I can’t wait to continue.
Plus I want to visit any bookstore with the name Quill & Tide. I’m sold.
It is not a good plan, but it is technically a plan. She’ll come to Willow Cove, sort out the seaside bookshop her late aunt left behind, sell the property before the money runs out, and move on with her life.
Quill & Tide has other ideas.
The shelves are beautiful but impossible to navigate. The bathroom mirror keeps leaving messages in her dead aunt’s handwriting. And Moss, the sea-glass gray cat who came with the building, keeps glowing every time someone lies.
Rowan would love to pretend all of that is normal.
Unfortunately, denial gets harder when a bestselling thriller author drops dead at the town’s Masques & Manuscripts festival, right in front of half the waterfront.
The police have a suspect. The town has gossip. Moss has strong feelings about everyone involved, most of them unflattering. And Rowan has questions she really should stop asking, especially once they lead to a stolen grimoire and secrets Aunt Oona apparently took to the grave.
Willow Cove is charming, magical, and very bad at minding its own business.
Rowan was supposed to sell the bookshop and leave.
Instead, she may have inherited a murder mystery and one extremely judgmental cat.
I’m a fan of this author so I immediately picked up Twice Bitten, the beginning of S.E. Babin’s Fangs and Fur series. A paranormal tale about a hedge witch who gets mixed up with the politics of the vampire/werewolf conference by way of a traumatic encounter is off to a good start here.
Babin is excellent at establishing a complex plot that will keep expanding into ever greater detail and often wilder realms and storylines. I can definitely see this happening with Fangs and Fur and the main group of characters Babin is starting out with.
Hint. Thankfully, this author can take the main female character on quite the twisted path with regard to her final romantic partner, so just know it might not be one of the top two atm.
First there’s Alex, a hedge witch working as a barista with a black market apothecary business on the side. She’s an orphan with a “missing” mother and a father of unknown origin.
Alex becomes the object of an obsessive vampire, Beckett, and ends up in the middle of a mysterious species turf battle between vampire and wolf shifter. That brings in the next major characters and conflicts.
Alric, the Vampire Prime and Silas is the Wolf King, both working on an inter species conference. Until a traumatic event with Alex upsets everything.
I’m not a fan of Alric. He’s got major non consent issues, and frankly red flags plastered around him everywhere. And smacks heavily of another MMC in another series I despised.
Silas is running a close second.
Like Leo the chauffeur/bodyguard for Alric. He’s got great potential going forward.
And Babin, if she’s going to be as consistent as she has in her previous series, will make this an elaborate and exciting journey for Alex, magically and romantically.
So I’m not going to assume who it might be from the characters at the first story.
Very entertaining and a great start to this series.
I was bitten by a vampire AND a werewolf. Now everyone wants a piece of me.
I never wanted to be a powerful witch. I’m happiest pulling espresso shots at the Three Beans café and keeping my magic secret.
But trouble is brewing…
When a turf war between vampires and shifters erupts outside the café, I get caught between the irresistibly charming Vampire Prime and the ruggedly handsome Shifter King. As these two apex predators blindly tear into each other, I am bitten, clawed, and left for dead.
My magic flares just in time to save my life, but there are… side effects. Suddenly, I find myself staring at customers’ necks. And feeling suspiciously twitchy before the full moon.
It’s impossible but… am I transforming into a vampire and a werewolf?
The Vampire Prime finds me immediately. Captivated by my scent, he tempts me with danger and luxury. The Shifter King is equally obsessed, and determined to claim me for his pack.
I am caught between them once more—but this time it’s me that they’re fighting over. And since my new blood brings strange new powers, it won’t be long before I’m the most wanted prey in town…
This is an excellent first book by this author. Kill the Beast by Serra Swift, a fantasy adventure novel, is a remarkable tale of revenge, found family and redemption.
Situated In lands where humanity has expanded into lands once shared with Fae, the forward movement of humans and their developments have disastrous consequences when they encounter the otherworldly creatures and the monsters that the fae have created and left behind.
The fae, fleeing from the iron technology of humanity and losses of their forests or just insults to their superior species, ensured their revenge against humans is often deep and brutal.
For one woman, Lyssa Cadogan, now Lyssa Carnifax, the Fae’s brutality has been incredibly devastating, the loss of her beloved brother who was murdered by a faerie-made monster known as the Beast. She made an oath on his grave to revenge him and kill the Beast. And that’s been her life’s goal and work since then.
A warrior/hunter consumed by her hatred for the Fae and need for revenge. She is hired by a wealthy, sort of dandy Alderic Casimir de Laurent, who has knowledge of the Monster and hires her to kill it.
And it’s not just as simple as that.
So many interesting and tragic layers to the story and of these people. Multiple losses, deep emotional scars, slowly bonding with each other and with the scary found family that Lyssa has gained over the years. This includes an enormous bullmastiff called Brandy.
There’s no romance. A past relationship is mentioned and there is a possibility of a future romance. But this is about dealing with trauma, the tragedy of your past, revenge and forgiveness. And finally being able to move forward.
An absolutely fantastic book by a first time author. I can’t wait to see what they write next.
The Witcher meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this debut original faerie tale of revenge, redemption, and friendship—for fans of T. Kingfisher, Naomi Novik, and cozy fantasy with a dash of gritty adventure.
The night Lyssa Cadogan’s brother was murdered by a faerie-made monster known as the Beast, she made him a promise: she would find a way to destroy the immortal creature and avenge his death. For thirteen years, she has been hunting faeries and the abominations they created. But in all that time, the one Beast she is most desperate to find has never resurfaced.
Until she meets Alderic Casimir de Laurent, a melodramatic dandy with a coin purse bigger than his brain. Somehow, he has found the monster’s lair, and—even more surprising—retrieved one of its claws. A claw Lyssa needs in order to forge a sword that can kill the Beast.
Alderic is ill-equipped for a hunt and almost guaranteed to get himself killed. But as the two of them search for the rest of the materials that will be the Beast’s undoing, Alderic reveals hidden depths: dark secrets that he guards as carefully as Lyssa guards hers. Before long, and against Lyssa’s better judgment, an unlikely friendship begins to bloom—one that will either lead to the culmination of Lyssa’s quest for vengeance, or spell doom for them both.
“The Chaosborn romantasy series unfolds in a Norse-inspired world where dragon-bonded warriors known as the Drage protect kingdoms from an awakening threat called the Darkness.”
An incredible book that ends with a heart-stopping cliffhanger. What a shocker!
That should be my entire review.
Because that ending? Absolutely threw me. Didn’t see it coming.
Everything else leading up? Excellent work, great plotting, wonderful suspense and storytelling.
I mean I love the characters and how the author has developed both the mythology and the interplay between dragons and their bonded people. Then overlapped that with the political drama that’s impacting their lives.
But still . Boom! With those twists and unexpected surprises.
Nope. No, spoilers about what happens to Eise and Arik.
Madeleine Eliot has crafted an amazing book and series, complete with Norse mythology, language and history as well as Celtic lore and language included. Don’t miss out on her notes for the characters and storylines at the beginning.
And need that third book right now. Pretty please?
If you have an issue with cliffhangers (and this is a doozy), maybe wait until the next book comes out and read right through. Otherwise, hang in there with me, and read it right now.
Highly recommended.
Cover clipart by Viktoriia Ihnatovets ArtCreationsDesign
Only a soul of fire can stand against what comes next…
The Rift is stirring, and the Darkness beyond it is no longer content to wait.
As the human king prepares for a war driven by greed rather than survival, newly mated Arik and Eisa are pulled into a dangerous web of politics—one that threatens not only their fragile alliances, but the mate bond that ties their souls together.
When the Darkness breaks free, only a soul of fire born once in a generation can stand against what comes next. And awakening that power may cost more than either of them is willing to lose.
Soul of Fire is the second book in the Chaosborn trilogy, an adult romantasy featuring dragon shifters, Norse-inspired lore, and spicy romance.
Shannon Mayer is a hit or miss writer for me. Some stories I think she writes are just wonderful, well plotted with amazing characters. Then there’s those books I find have terrific points and elements but include one or two aspects of the story that make me put it down, permanently.
Neverthorn, the first book of Of Quirks and Curses series by Shannon Mayer, is a bit of both. Mayer’s previous dark urban fantasy academy thriller, Shadowspell (2021) is amazing. Now comes Neverthorn, Of Quirks and Curses, it’s not a YA novel although there’s some similarities.
It has some really interesting elements about it. Starting immediately with Harlow, a 29 year old magical thief, who, along with her younger non-magical sister, is dragged unwillingly back to Neverthorn Academy, a place she left and swore never to return to.
As with these urban fantasy academy mystery series, the main character gathers together a group of misfits around her. This time it’s another group of older people, thrown together into a magical House, who’ve come from a variety of normal lifestyles outside of the magical life because they sucked at magic.
This is a great element. A group of adults brought back to an academy for purposes unknown, most of them with “weak magic “, who were bullied when they were younger there.
I loved watching them gell as a group, definitely a “us vs them” atmosphere. But with such a fantastic plot element, Mayer has a hard time hanging onto the characters ages and writing them as credible adults of 29 and older. More and more, their personalities start to present as younger than they should be. They soon feel like early 20’s, if that. And an interesting plot idea is being lost.
The School is certainly harsh as is its situation. The scenes are laid out in rich detail and the darkness of the magic of the villain is spookily drawn into the narrative. Very well executed.
However for every nice twist that’s revealed, there’s a major plot or storyline that’s been easily telegraphed by Mayer’s execution so that the reader can see who is actually the villain (wink, wink) and how the entire series will play out without needing to read it. It’s just that heavy handed.
I’m going to because I’m sure there’s some interesting twists along the journey. But yes, I have to say I have a good idea of how it will go down. And if you have read enough of these books, you’ll see it too.
It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.
And the second book is out so the reader can head immediately forward to the how it’s resolved.
I’m recommending it because it’s still enjoyable to read.
In a realm where magic reigns, a legendary Hero once stood against the encroaching darkness. But with his death, hope dwindled, and the best the world can muster is Harlow Daygon—a thief, magic school dropout, and notorious troublemaker.
At nearly thirty, Harlow can’t even cast a simple rune without blundering it. So why does anyone think she can take up the mantle of Hero? Reluctantly, she’s dragged back to Neverthorn Academy with seven former classmates, tasked with training to confront and defeat the Villain of their world.
But the challenges are stacked against her:
Professor Hot-As-Sin makes it clear she’s a failure.
Professor Used-To-Be-A-Mean-Girl has a vendetta.
And lurking in her past is a secret so dark it could reveal she’s not the Hero the world needs—but the next Villain.
With fate hanging in the balance, can Harlow embrace her destiny before the shadows claim her?
Ever read one of those books that you just both wanted to scream at when you got to the end and still loved? Yes indeed.
Welcome to Dragon Rogue, a book of storylines full of deception, betrayal, heartbreaking revelations and bloody violence that ends in a fight with shocking consequences.
And it starts right off with violence. Jin and her jade dragon are sent off by the Empress, a shady character herself, to kill the Empress’s “evil enemy”, the blood-bonded traitor Mengkhis Lai, rider of a jade dragon himself.
But things aren’t as simple as it seems. She’s fought him before and he’s let her live. And she’s been having fragmented dreams about her past and the Prince’s birth. It’s a labyrinthine narrative, full of false plots, intriguing stories about dragon natural history, and blood bonding.
Even the ability to summon ghosts and what it means to the lifespan of the summoner, the author barely touches on the aspect of this element. And it’s so fascinating and horrifying.
But all the tightly held secrets and connections that are being strung here, ones that feel more like chains than relationships, are the key. It’s well written, suspense filled, and realistic to the point of anxiety.
Then comes that ending. Amazing. Now to wait until September.
Some truths rewrite the past. Others rewrite your soul.
Jin was sent to kill a man while he dreamed. Instead, she woke a nightmare.
As the empire’s most celebrated dragonrider, Jin thought her mission was simple: assassinate the blood-bonded traitor Mengkhis Lai before he could ever wake from his mage-induced sleep.
But events at the Well of Fire go terribly wrong. Buried with the man she was supposed to kill, Jin begins to question everything—especially when Mengkhis claims the empress meant for them both to die.
Escaping the Well is only the beginning. Injured and forced to publicly lie about killing Mengkhis, Jin must decide whether to trust the word of the man she was trained to destroy—or risk being silenced forever by the empire that made her a hero. When Jin is put into training with the Royal Veil, the empire’s secret police, Jin decides to uncover the truth behind the mission that nearly killed her, and put an end to Mengkhis once and for all.
But the deeper Jin goes, the more she suspects the empress’s motives. Jin uncovers plots, secrets, and a destiny far greater—and more dangerous—than she imagined.
Her enemies want her dead. Her allies want absolute loyalty, even at the price of love.
And the one person who may hold the answers… is the one she must kill to earn her freedom.
The third novel in this portion of this series is excellent. Divided into two trilogies, the three books of The Culling Trials are coauthored by K. F. Breene and Shannon Mayer while the last trilogy is written solely by Mayer.
So this completes the co-authored mini series, The Culling Trials, and it’s exciting, full of intrigue, surprises, really excellent twists, and leaves our mixed found family of paranormal friends graduating into their respective Houses , ala Harry Potter, and ready for their next chapter as first years.
Wild and her small crew are headed into the final trials before they are sorted out by their magical abilities into their Houses. If they survive because someone is trying to kill them or just Wild before they can finish.
And the mystery of their disappearing companions hasn’t been solved yet as a few more teenagers vanish from campus and the authorities have no answers.
Wild and every other person in her group shows realistic personal development as they face growing dangers and a killer that has targeted them.
I really enjoyed this book, even as I debate going forward without Breene as a coauthor. Her influence in the writing here is clear.
I recommend reading this book as part of the mini-trilogy. Read them in the order they are written.
Shadowspell Academy (6 book series)
The Culling Trials #1 through 3
Year of the Chameleon #4 through 6 written by Shannon Mayer
You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.
Being accepted into an elite school of magic, monsters, and assassins was not my idea of higher education. But here I am, fighting my way through the Culling Trials to claim my right to be taught.
As if the gauntlet-type physical and mental tests aren’t enough, people are going missing.
People that are my friends.
In a dangerous world where no one is as they seem, the golden rule is simple: Trust no one. They think we should just look out for ourselves. That we should leave the fallen behind and ask no questions.
They clearly think we’re idiots. I got this far by trusting my instincts, and I’m not going to back down now.