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!

Awesome Book Mail - part 2

 

It's time to show the books Jeffe ordered for me, because I couldn't order them myself.

You'll notice they have a theme ;-)

The US hard cover of Nine Goblins!

Now I will confess a certain online retailer had it listed, but when I ordered it, it went in stasis for an undetermined time as is often the case when I preorder at that particular site, so I asked Jeffe to buy it for me as she was going to send a package anyway.

I confess I wanted this edition just for these end papers alone!

The other books were the Owlcrate editions of the Sworn Soldier books.

Yes! I already got my trotters on the amazing US hard covers, but just look at the pictures below! I could not resist.

What Moves the Dead

What Feasts at Night

What Stalks the Deep

I can tell you T. Kingfisher got her own shelf in my bookcase by now.

I hope you enjoyed seeing so many cool book mail pictures.

I promise I'll have reviews again next week

Teasing on a Wednesday - Sea of Charms

 

This sailboat was her freedom, her heart, her hope.

On the other hand, this was a plant.

(page 65, Sea of Charms ARC by Sarah Beth Durst)

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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!

Awesome Book Mail - part 1

I got the most amazing book mail at the end of February!

Jeffe sent a package with both presents and books she managed to get hold for me, because I couldn't order them myself.

First the presents!

There was an ARC of Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst.

I'm reading it at the moment so check back soon for my thoughts on it.

Signed paperbacks of two of Jeffe's own books.

The UK edition of Never the Roses!

(It's bigger than the US hard cover.)

And it's purple!

The Owlcrate edition of Never the Roses!

There's notes and other illustrations on the cover.

And Bad Bunny!

It has pretty painted edges.

Illustrations on the end pages.

Another bunny.

And it's signed as well.

The dust cover is reversible and has gorgeous art as well.

Painted edges comparison.

And here are all my Never the Roses copies together!

(In June I'll have to make room for the US paperback to join them)

Thank you, Jeffe!

Stay tuned for part 2 of this book haul.

Red Star Rebels - Quick Book Review

 

Red Star Rebels

by Amy Kaufman

What is it about:

It’s 2067, and the Graves family has transformed Mars from lifeless rock into a chaotic patchwork of settlements—and everybody wants a piece.

Enter Hunter Graves: handsome, ambitious, and with spectacularly bad timing. He shows up at the United Nations base just as an emergency evacuation sends everyone scurrying for safety. Except he’s left behind. Uh oh.

Also stranded: Cleo, a sharp-tongued stowaway with no intention of dying today, and even less patience for overconfident trust fund boys. But the enemy of your enemy might just help you survive, so here we are.

Turns out the evacuation was just a cover for the mercenaries who came next, and they plan to blow up the base—and every trace of their crime—in eight hours.

Now, Hunter and Cleo have one shot to stop the explosion, escape alive, and deal with the inconvenient fact that they’re falling for each other.

The clock is ticking.

What did I think of it:

This book was promoted somewhere as 'Die Hard meets...' (Yes, I forgot what the other thing was.)

The Die Hard reference was enough for me to pick it up though.

And this is indeed a fun YA SciFi with elements that make the comparison to Die Hard a fair one.

The story is told from both Hunter's and Cleo's point of view in alternating chapters. After a short introduction to both and the setting, the action starts and keeps going in a pleasant pace. I really liked Cleo's fast thinking and creative solutions. There were a few surprises along the way, but those felt natural and believable.

All in all a very enjoyable read.

Why should you read it:

It's YA Die Hard on Mars

Clockwork Boys - Book Review

 

Clockwork Boys (Clocktaur War #1)

by T. Kingfisher

What is it about:

A paladin, an assassin, a forger, and a scholar ride out of town. It’s not the start of a joke, but rather an espionage mission with deadly serious stakes. T. Kingfisher’s new novel begins the tale of a murderous band of criminals (and a scholar), thrown together in an attempt to unravel the secret of the Clockwork Boys, mechanical soldiers from a neighboring kingdom that promise ruin to the Dowager’s city.

If they succeed, rewards and pardons await, but that requires a long journey through enemy territory, directly into the capital. It also requires them to refrain from killing each other along the way! At turns darkly comic and touching, Clockwork Boys puts together a broken group of people trying to make the most of the rest of their lives as they drive forward on their suicide mission.

What did I think of it:

I have really enjoyed Swordheart and the 3 Saint of Steel books I've read so far, so I decided to give the Clocktaur War Duology a chance as they're set in the same world.

And this was a very nice read.

I liked the characters, the banter between them, the setup. It just seemed to be a bit slow on the story. Now this might have been just me, but with a title "Clockwork Boys" I had expected more... Clockwork Boys. Our brave heroes do get drawn into other events, but they make sure to stay far away from the things this book is named after.

That aside, I had a good time with this book. Kingfisher's writing, characters, humor, and worldbuilding didn't disappoint, and I will most certainly buy the matching hardcover of The Wonder Engine when it releases in March.

Why should you read it:

It's a fun Fantasy read.