Synopsis: When a mysterious ailment refuses to leave water nymph Lilje, her father sends her to a human spa retreat. Lilje quickly discovers she has a lot to learn about human nature and culture when she accidentally scandalises the Edwardian spa guests by showing up undressed. In hope of relieving her chronic pain and fatigue, […]
Romantic Fantasy
Review: The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen
Synopsis: BEHIND EVERY HERO, THERE’S A HISTORIAN An ambitious young scholar is sent to research the mysteries of an adventurer’s inn – only to uncover a centuries-old secret in this heart-warming and poignant fantasy. Mount Vengeance is legendary, a monumental climb with a dragon at its peak. For most, it’s an adventure, or a quest […]
Review: The Briar Crown (The Zemkoska Chronicles) by Helen Rygh-Pendersen
Synopsis They say love conquers all… but can the conquered ever love the conqueror?Twenty-five years ago, there was life. Twenty-five years ago, there was peace when the descendants of the dryads and naiads kept all life in balance. Until one fateful night when the Oderbergs invaded, executed the royal house of Domonov and took Domovnia […]
Review: Aether and Bone by Amber Toro
Synopsis: “They executed my father. Now they want to see me burn on the sky pyre. But I will ally with the monster of The Below and brave the beasts above before I let them condemn me.” Oliviana Lux’s world is ruled by dangerous dragons, banishing humanity to the cavern cities below. But the sharp-tongued […]
Review: Shadow Reaper by Lynette Noni
Synopsis: NEVER BARGAIN WITH A REAPER. The city of Aravell is in peril, plagued by a deadly blackmist that kills all it touches and reapers who roam the streets, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Seventeen-year-old reaper hunter Viridia Solace has made it her life’s mission to capture their leader―the man who murdered […]
Review: Wonders Never Cease by Lexy Hudson
Synopsis: A propulsive, gorgeously written fantasy romance that pulls you into a dazzling world of dancing and danger, fae and fairytales, and a love that endures against all odds. Musical and immersive, this stunning debut is perfect for fans of The Night Circus and The Moonlight Market. London, 1986. Trix is a young ballerina striving to […]
Review: The Last PHI Hunter by Salinee Goldenburg
A fun monster-hunting tale, with a forbidden romance, and an absolutely stunning Thai-inspired fantasy setting.
SPFBO XI Review: Blackwater by Emily Blakeney
Synopsis: There is much to be done when the kingdom isn’t looking. Iona Strider is a ruthless pickpocket cursed with a disobedient shadow. Violent, too. Worse, she can’t remember who cursed her, or why. But she does know one with each passing day, her control of the shadow dwindles. In her relentless pursuit of answers, […]
Review: All Hail Chaos (Time of Iron 2) by Sarah Rees Brennan
Synopsis: SHE TRIED TO FIX HIM. SHE MADE HIM WORSE. Rae is a fantasy reader who’s been transported to her favourite fictional world of swords and sorcery, castles and monsters. Playing the villainess, she thought she could change the narrative, but this version of the plot is far more deadly than the one she knew. Her […]
The Shadow Prince by Helen Scheuerer
A monster hunter and her monstrous enemy . . . From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Iron & Embers, Helen Scheuerer, The Shadow Prince is an epic fantasy romance with an enemies-to-lovers plot, scorching spice and a richly woven world of magic. Drue Emmerson wants one thing: vengeance. After her family is slain by […]
Review: Broken Dove (Silver Elite 2) by Dani Francis
Synopsis: LINES WILL BE CROSSED. After blowing her cover as a double agent within Silver Elite and fleeing the Prime-controlled capital, Wren Darlington is finally safe behind allied lines. As her lover and former commander Cross Redden works to disrupt the Primes from inside their ranks, Wren turns her focus toward assisting the Uprising in […]
Review: Mother of Death and Dawn (The War of Lost Hearts #3) by Carissa Broadbent
Mother of Dawn and Death’s best character arc is Aefe, hands down. In Children of Fallen Gods I was very fond of her, and then over the course of Mother of Death and Dawn I went through so many emotions with her. From seeing her as a villain, to seeing her just as a broken, used person who makes the wrong choices for love, to making the right choices for herself. Her growth and change is what carried the emotional side of this book for me.