Book Review - Love, Lies, and Ley Lines

 

Love, Lies, and Ley Lines (The Fast & the Fae #1)

by Jeffe Kennedy

What is it about:

It’s been years since the infamous smuggling team of Bandit and Goldilocks thumbed their noses at the fae authorities, running the priceless magical pixie dust desired by everyone from hedge witches to the storied magic academies. No one in the human principalities controlled by the fae can work even the simplest spells without the stuff. And without fae magic, humans will find themselves back in the dark ages of disease and fast mortality. But the enigmatic fae keep a tight grip on their monopoly of pixie dust, charging extortionate prices at their whim.

Bandit has been doing her best to get by on her racing wins and the quick thrill of one-night stands while her former partner and best friend, the powerful sorceress known as Goldilocks, is off playing house and having babies. But when Bandit gets the offer of a lifetime, she convinces Goldilocks to come out of retirement for one last, hugely profitable gig.

And if the Bandit picks up a mysterious and seductive hitchhiker fleeing his wedding, well that just adds a bit of spice to the job. When he refuses to tell her his name, she dubs him Prince Charming and only regrets that she won’t have time to find out more about her enticing companion—and what he looks like under those fancy clothes.

As the Bandit and Prince Charming run distraction for Goldilocks and her precious haul, they face untold dangers penetrating the arcane fae realms.

All for gold, glory, and maybe even true love.

What did I think of it:

Do you even need to ask?!

Jeffe Kennedy isn't my favorite author for nothing: this book is yet another winner!

This book had Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves vibes, but did it so much better in my opinion. They absolutely should make a movie based on Love, Lies, and Ley Lines. I'd watch the shit of out of it while also rereading this book.

I absolutely fell in love with Cha & her best friend, had my doubts about Prince Charming as well as finding him super intriguing, and couldn't get enough of the cool world Jeffe created for this thrilling adventure.

You bet I finished this in one day and that I'm now eager for the next book!

Why should you read it:

It's such a cool and delicious read!

Go Buy Here

Nine Goblins - Book Review (reread/repost)

 

Nine Goblins

by T. Kingfisher

What is it about:

When a party of goblin warriors find themselves trapped behind enemy lines, it'll take more than whining (and a bemused Elven veterinarian) to get them home again.

Nine Goblins is a novella of low...very low...fantasy.

What did I think of it:

This such a fun read!

It's silly, funny, and touching all in one.

The story switches viewpoints between the goblins and Sings-to-Trees, an Elven veterinarian. I loved the goblins and their view of the world, but I will confess I loved Sings-to-Trees even more. He's on the receiving end of a lot of trouble, still he keeps going and stays helpful.

The goblins get themselves in hot water as well, but they're tough and resourceful in a unique goblin way.

All in all this was a delight to read, and as promised when I read it last year: I got my trotters on the hardcover for this first of many rereads!

Why should you read it:

It's a super fun Fantasy read!

Teaser Tuesdays: "Look at My Pretty Book" Edition

 

No teaser from my current read today, but pictures of my newest arrival, just because it's pretty.

Slaying the Vampire Conqueror

by Carissa Broadbent

Have you read it?

What did you think of it?

Sea of Charms - Early Book Review

 

Sea of Charms (Spellshop #3)

by Sarah Beth Durst

What is it about:

Marin is a supply runner with her own boat that she sails from island to island, delivering whatever anyone will pay her to deliver: letters, flour, even the occasional enchanted lemur. It’s a lonely life, but it’s hers, and she wouldn’t trade the freedom of the sea for anything. Her only companion is a sea serpent, Perri, whom she saved from a fisherfolk’s net.

One day, she sails to Alyssium and discovers the city is on fire. There’s been a revolution, and the empire has fallen. Marin, with Perri, begins transporting refugees, finding them new homes where they can start over. One such refugee is Dax, a composer who refuses to leave behind his instruments, no matter how much she tries to emphasize the gravity of the situation. Intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, and his charming smile, Marin discovers perhaps she isn’t saving him ― maybe it’s the other way around.

What did I think of it:

I absolutely love The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse so I was super happy to receive an ARC of Sea of Charms.

The book felt initially slow. I get why it started where it started, but as it overlaps time- and event-wise with The Enchanted Greenhouse it felt like a rehash at times and that's what took the speed out of it for me personally. But luckily after a few chapters the story moved away from the previous book and took on speed. 

I especially enjoyed Ree, the sentient plant, and Perri, the sea serpent. I love how Durst manages to give the plants in this series their own personality.

I didn't totally get into the relationship between Marin and Dax. Marin seemed unreasonably obsessed with Dax from the start even while telling herself they can never be together, while Dax is a cinnamon roll where someone forgot to add the cinnamon. 

I didn't mind much though. The adventures of the four of them were more than fun and enjoyable enough to keep me entertained. I loved seeing even more of the world these books are set in, and to discover more of what happened in the aftermath of the revolution. There's exciting action, lots of humorous situations, and more. There were a few delightful cameos from characters from the other books along the way as well.

All in all a fun and entertaining addition to the series. I will most definitely get my trotters on the hard cover once it releases.

Why should you read it:

It's a very enjoyable Cozy Fantasy

Expected publication July 28, 2026

On McPig's Radar - A Long and Speaking Silence

 

A Long and Speaking Silence

(The Singing Hills Cycle #7)

by Nghi Vo

Every story begins somewhere.

On the banks of the Ya-lé River, the town of Luntien gathers to celebrate the start of the rainy season, but the celebration is marred by the arrival of refugees from the sea. Everyone has a story about the foreigners newly in their midst—lazy, violent, unwanted—while the refugees themselves grieve the loss of the home they loved.

Cleric Chih, very recently still Novice Chih, is also a stranger in Luntien. A moment of carelessness and bad luck leaves them waiting tables as they struggle to establish themself as a real cleric. A cleric’s job is to listen and record, but the stories emerging in Luntien are ugly and violent, as hard to predict as the river itself. With their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant by their side, Chih must help the refugees while also unraveling a mystery that may have roots in their own faraway home in the abbey of Singing Hills.

In the seventh entry of the award-winning Singing Hills series, we meet Chih and Almost Brilliant just beginning their journey together as Chih assumes their place on the road and in the world.

The novellas of the Singing Hills series are standalone stories linked by the Cleric Chih, and may be read in any order.

Expected publication May 5, 2026

The Maleficent Faerie - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

 

The Maleficent Faerie (For the Love of the Villain #2)

by Rebecca F. Kenney

What is it about:

A spicy, Fae Sleeping Beauty retelling with a male version of Maleficent, a dying realm, and intriguing twists on the old tale.

When Malec, the Void King, attacks Princess Dawn's carriage, her Fae bodyguard Aura switches places with her. Glamoured as a human, Aura must fool Malec into thinking she's the Princess he cursed 25 years ago. Relentless and powerful, but with a vulnerable side he hides from others, Malec begins to crave Aura's respect as much as he craves her body.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:

I've very much enjoyed the other books I've read by Kenney so far, so I treated myself to The Maleficent Faerie to see if I'd enjoy stories not connected to her Wicked Darlings series.

And this book was such an enjoyable read!

I'd call this a re-imagining instead of a retelling as the story differs greatly from the original fairytale (in the most yummy ways). I fell hard for Malec (I do love a tortured hero/villain) so it was easy to lose myself in the romance between Aura and Malec. There were of course story elements connecting this story to its inspiration, but those were used in original ways to create a whole new story with a romance at the heart of it that doesn't need a prince to save Aura. 

All in all I had a great time with this very steamy and delicious Fantasy Romance and you bet I got my hands on another book in this series of standalones.

Why should you read it:

It's a delightful Fantasy Romance re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty.

Teaser Tuesdays - Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die

 

"Why should he be mad? He's the one who fucked me over," I grumbled, then winced, hoping the construct circling some distance below hadn't caught my words.

(page 68, Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die by Greer Stothers)

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, previously hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their  TBR Lists if they like your teasers!