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The Prison Healer Book Review
From Goodreads: 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…
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Serpent and Dove Book Review
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin From Goodreads: Bound as one to love, honor, or burn. Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned. Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony. The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most…
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Sorcery of Thorns Book Review
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson From Goodreads: All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power. Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no…
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The Storm Crow Book Review
The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson From Goodreads: In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life…until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything. That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother’s death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost. But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan…
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Onyx and Ivory Book Review
Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett From Goodreads: They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs…
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Beyond a Darkened Shore Book Review
Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake From Goodreads: The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, Princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores. The people of Mide have thankfully always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately, a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn, but the entire world. Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a…
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April Fairyloot ‘Whimsical Journeys’ Unboxing
Hi everyone, Today I’m bringing you an unboxing of Fairyloot’s April box, which was themed around ‘Whimsical Journeys.’ The reason this unboxing is coming to you so late is because there was an issue with one of the items in the box, so Fairyloot ended up sending them out a little late last month. Still, that just means that this month is going to be jam-packed with unboxings, woo! As ever, the box came with a gorgeous spoiler card from the usual Fairyloot artist. This one might be one of my faves so far, since it just captures everything I love about spring– the blossoms, the blue sky… I really…
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Furyborn Book Review
Furyborn by Claire Legrand The world will fall. Two Queens will rise. One of blood. One of light. When Rielle Dardenne foils an attempted assassination on her best friend, the crown prince Audric, she inadvertently exposes the secret her family has been keeping for most of her life: she is able to perform all seven types of elemental magic. The only people capable of such a feat are two prophesied Queens, but nobody can prove which one Rielle might be. With the government of Celdaria afraid that Rielle might raze their kingdom to the ground with her out of control powers, they offer her a way to prove she’s the saviour Sun…
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June Fairyloot: ‘Elementalists’
This was my first Fairyloot box. I had been wanting to try one for a while, but alas, finances, so I decided to wait for a big occasion. In June I finally handed in my undergraduate dissertation, so I decided that I deserved some Fairyloot in my life. And oh my. What a beautiful box. I didn’t actually manage to take an unboxing picture, I was so immersed in tearing paper and cooing over items, so I’m afraid this will have to do, but eek. So many items. Such pretty. Again, I managed to predict a book [mostly with some snooping on goodreads lists] but I was correct, this box…