I’ll keep this review spoiler free, but in Soul of the Sorceress we’re back in Runswick with Cordelia and Percy! I have to admit to having missed these two, so I was looking forward to settling into this second book in the Shadow and Soul series.
I’ll keep this review spoiler free, but in Soul of the Sorceress we’re back in Runswick with Cordelia and Percy! I have to admit to having missed these two, so I was looking forward to settling into this second book in the Shadow and Soul series.
While the book opens quickly on our two main characters, it’s made apparent early on that this book has not been written for new readers in mind. If you pick this book up without realising it’s book two, you’re going to find yourself very lost, very quickly. There’s little-to-no recap, and it has sections that allude to character histories that, without context, simply mean nothing to the reader but, honestly, I’m nitpicking. This is a second book, and it has deep lore, established backstory and character histories that I was aware of going in.
Despite these small areas of potential improvement, Cassandra’s skillful storytelling pulls us into a world of magic and romance very quickly. I devoured this book in just a few hours, but it’s got a lovely pacing that lends its content to a quiet evening and a glass of wine, or a relaxed weekend perusal.
There is intrigue and high stakes, but you never feel pushed to rush the story. It’s cleverly interspersed with periods of soft romance, and quiet affection between Cordelia and Percy and despite my ever growing desire to understand the motivations behind the other players on the board, and what allies or dangers they might turn out to be, it was my love of Percy and Cordelia’s relationship that truly captured my attention throughout.
A gorgeous addition to the series, and I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for the next installment to add to my collection!
[ID: a book cover. The cover has a red and yellow lute at the center, with blue flowers at the center, all against a black background. The title reads “The Stray Spirit, Lutesong Book One.” The author name is R.K. Ashwick. The translucent text overlaid at the top of the cover reads “Advanced Reader Copy.” end ID]
Calling ARC Readers for The Stray Spirit!
Do you like anxious bards?
How about forest spirits?
How about anxious bards with a forest spirit trapped in his lute, where he’s forced to work with his ex-girlfriend to get out of this mess, only to uncover a major magical threat no one is prepared for?
Hey, then you might like my book!
If you want to be an ARC reader for The Stray Spirit, and get a free copy of the book in exchange for leaving a (voluntary!) review:
But Ash! What if I don’t wanna leave a review? What if I wanna just buy the book?
That’s great! I’ll be announcing pre-order info & goodies in July!!
If you pre-order, you’ll get:
the first three chapters as a sneak peek
a sticker I drew myself
a bookmark I painted myself
See?
[ID: a photo of a sticker and a bookmark against a wooden background. The sticker is of a lute with flowers and vines growing out of the sound hole. The bookmark is a watercolor of blue and purple flowers, with the script text “The Stray Spirit” at the top. end ID]
TL;DR:
Sign up to be an ARC reader now, or get pre-order info & gifts in July!
You might have seen some of my Book Reviews around, but I tend to post my review here, instagram, facebook, and on my website, in addition to amazon, goodreads, and any other platform I can find that the book is for sale on. (Including Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, Bookbub, Kobo, etc)
Rubem is plenty happy keeping to his wine, his pets, and his extensive collection of fishnets.
But when a sentient parasite latches to his brainstem, he’s forced out of his comfortable—if lonesome—life in search of someone in the nearby underwater steampunk city who can safely remove it.
Here though, both the power-hungry rebels and the tight-gripped monopolies want to viciously dissect his parasite for its energy-producing abilities, and the only person offering him sincere help is the dashing and manipulative philanthropist selkie at the center of all the city’s chaos.
Odder Still is a M/M fantasy novel with a biracial and class-crossing slow burn romance, murderous intrigue, and a Marvel’s Venom-style parasite-human relationship in an underwater steampunk city. It is the first in a series, each with a romantically fulfilling ending and a final HEA, with steamy thoughts and foreplay but no explicit sex. (Content warnings for alcohol consumption and animal death.)
Are you a reviewer interesting in reading and posting an honest review for this book in early June?
Blog Tour - In the Serpent’s Wake by Rachel Hartman - Review
Blog Tour – In the Serpent’s Wake by Rachel Hartman – Review
Hello bookish lovelies! Happy Tuesday! Welcome to my stop on the In the Serpent’s Wake by Rachel Hartman blog tour! You can check out the rest of the tour here!
ABOUT THE BOOK: Title: In the Serpent’s Wake Author: Rachel Hartman Release Date: February 1st, 2022 Published By: Random House Books for Young Readers Pages: 512 pages Find it: Amazon, B&N, Book…
“Well, a previously believed to be extinct species reappeared with the murder of a well-respected local political figure… despite that I’ve had more chaotic periods in my career.”
Do you like YA fantasy books with dragons, family drama, strong friendships and perhaps a pinch too much banter?
If so, you’ll enjoy my series Dear Dragon.
The first book will have been out for a year next month. It followed Itazu, a young adult who believed she was the last dragon until she visited her home-town and discovered another nine dragons in hiding.
My second book is due to come out in a couple of months and it continues her and all the other dragon’s story.
I haven’t got a definitive cover or name for it yet (apparently I like waiting until the very last minute and stressing myself out with releases), but what I do have is a book ready for reading.
So, if you’d like to be among the first people ever to read this book, I’d like to invite you to join my ARC team!
What’s an ARC team you may be asking?
ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy, it’s standard practice in the industry where a certain number of readers receive a free copy (in this case ebooks) before release so they can read and review the book.
There’s no obligations attached. Obviously the objective is to get reviews but I completely understand that life happens and gets in the way all the time, so if you receive a free copy and never read it or forget to review, don’t worry, I’m not going to chase you down or anything like that.
This is basically just another way for authors and readers to collaborate!
If you sign up to be an ARC reader, thanks so much for the interest, if you aren’t interested, I still hope you learnt something from this post about the book world.
As usual, have fun writing, have fun reading, and you can find my socials, book and other links of interest: here.
