Hark and LO, bitchery! It is I, your intrepid fantasy romance correspondent, delighted to inform you I have found a winner. The Shadow and the Sun is a fun, sexy, pretty well-written, and unabashedly FANTASY romance novel. The setup is this: in a medieval-ish fantasy world called Quoregna, a warrior woman named Halina, who is the bastard daughter of the king of Ursinum, is charged with a mission to convince a reclusive wizard, the Shadow … Continue reading The Shadow and The Sun by Monica Enderle Pierce →
Whenever I sense a whiff of a new historical romance with fantasy, paranormal, or steampunk elements, my ears perk up and I’m on alert. And yes, this is a call to send me your recommendations if you have any. Be aware that it will take some deep cuts, though, to suggest a book I haven’t heard of or read. Set in an alternate version of Victorian-era London, the Wisteria Society is made up of a … Continue reading The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton →
Once I got past the quite misleading blurb, I found The Stormbringer to be a lot of heartwarming fantasy fun with a hefty pour of romance. The story also contains some pretty bold character choices that I (mostly) appreciated. While I enjoyed it thoroughly, I think primarily due to the boldness of said choices, this is a book that will either really work for people or really not work for them. Let’s get into it! … Continue reading The Stormbringer by Isabel Cooper →
CW: gruesome violence, discussion of rape and slavery I DEVOURED The Blacksmith Queen, the first book in this series. I’ve read it and reread it and will probably read it again. So it was with VERY grabby hands that I reached for this sequel. I present for your edification and delight (hopefully!) 5 Steps to Loving The Princess Knight. Step 1: Get Ready for Some Violence This book is brutal in its portrayal of violence. … Continue reading The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken →
This Rec League was sent into us by Deborah! Is there a good fantasy romance novel or series in which the heroine is normal and STAYS normal? I’m getting a bit tired of the Chosen One cliche and would like to read about a character who doesn’t have a billion hidden/latent talents and solves her problems like all us average plebs. Sarah: I think some of the Laurenston Pride books have heroines who are not … Continue reading The Rec League: “Normal” Heroines in Fantasy Romance →
CW: child harm, threatened rape, bloody violence How do I love thee, let me count the ways. Specifically, there are six ways in which I love you, Poison Study. Reason, the first: Yelena Yelena is a badass. She survives cruel General Brazell’s torturous “children’s home” by killing her torturer, the General’s son Reyad. Of course, Brazell is now all aboard the SS Vengeance, destination: Yelena. But Yelena has an unlikely hero in The Rules. More … Continue reading Keeper Shelf: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder →
Promise of Darkness is a fantasy romance that intrigued me with its Gothic elements and excellent worldbuilding. The tone of the novel shifted midway leaving its Gothic premise behind for something more fantasy-adventure driven. While that shift felt abrupt and pulled me out of the novel momentarily, I was so invested in the plot it was fairly easy to jump back in. I will warn readers that this book ends with a HFN not a … Continue reading Promise of Darkness by Bec McMaster →
In Kill the Queen Jennifer Estep introduced readers to a fantasy world that was immersive and blissfully lacking in info-dump. It featured female gladiators, political machinations, and an underdog heroine. I really enjoyed Kill the Queen, so I was delighted to find that I loved the sequel Protect the Prince even more. It’s a blend of fantasy-adventure, romance and mystery, and I devoured it in a single day. You do need to read Kill the … Continue reading Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep →
Hello there! It’s Wednesday! We’re also a week away from Halloween? Are you excited? Or is it just another day for you? Maybe you’re just biding your time until you can get your hands on some discount candy. What I wouldn’t give for a huge, cheap bag of Reese’s right now. … Election Day is coming up and The Washington Post has a great interview with Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Be warned that this article may … Continue reading Links: Fantasy, Goodreads, & More →
A Promise of Fire is a fantasy romance and the first book in the Kingmaker Chronicles. I cannot, in good conscience, promise that this will be the last time you hear me talk about this book because I am obsessed. I will also go on record to say that, so far, this is the best book I’ve read in 2016. I want to read it again. I want the next book immediately, because the world … Continue reading A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet →
I’m totally cheating here, and giving you the cover copy because it does a much better job of explaining the plot than I could: On a hike deep in the Rocky Mountains, Kai Monahan watches as a dozen dragons–actual freaking dragons–battle beneath a fat white moon. When one crashes nearly dead at her feet and transforms into a man, Kai does the only thing a decent person could: she grabs the nearest sword and saves … Continue reading Soul of Smoke by Caitlyn McFarland →
