I've been seeing The Silversmith everywhere and I can see why people are talking about it. It has all the elements that typically keep me hooked, like hidden royalty, a prophecy, interesting lore, and an insane betrayal. This book had all the right pieces and I enjoyed it overall, but some structural and storytelling choices didn't quite work for me.

My favorite aspects were the relationships, both the found family and the romance. The side characters bring so much warmth to Aryella's life as she experiences friendship for the first time. The romance was also really sweet with 10/10 tension. While I could see where things were heading early on, I still felt every heart flutter and gut punch along with Aryella and Gavin.

On to things I didn't like. The characters spend most of the book traveling from point A to point B, and if there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I live for this exact type of story because of all the relationship growth that results from being stuck together on a long journey. But Gavin and Aryella's relationship developed to a point and then completely stagnated until the very end. This left the middle section feeling like a montage of the same scenes on repeat. The ending was packed with twists and I think the author could have scattered some of those reveals throughout the journey instead. This would have created more relationship building opportunities in the middle of the book.

At times, it felt like the attention wasn't always put on the right things, which I think resulted in a lack of world-building. For example, the book spends considerable page space highlighting the size difference between Gavin and Aryella (this information ends up serving no purpose) while keeping core details like the magic system pretty light. This is just one example, but I found it strange how often we'd breeze through scenes that felt significant while lingering on other unimportant details.

Despite these issues, I plan to continue with this series and I'm optimistic future books will address the world-building gaps.

Definitely read The Silversmith if you like strong found family, intense romantic yearning, and don't mind a character-driven story that's light on plot.

Going back and forth on my rating for this one. The romance didn't hit like I was hoping it would, but it's definitely an entertaining story that I absolutely flew through.

Before you read Your Knife, My Heart, check the trigger warnings the author notes at the beginning. There's PTSD, self-harm, and heavy substance abuse, among other things. I knew this story would be dark and found these elements added to the story, but if you're sensitive to any of these topics, please read with caution or maybe skip this one altogether.

Let's start with the good. This book had all the elements I usually devour -- a military training setting with deadly trials and delightfully unhinged (and slightly toxic) characters. This book is also heavily character-driven, so there really isn't a ton of intricate world-building and plot to keep track of. Most of the book is Cam and Emery interacting with each other, with the trials and a few training scenes breaking things up. Even without tons of action, I couldn't put it down!

That said, the Cam and Emery scenes got repetitive really quickly. It was sweet moment followed by hot-and-cold behavior, copied and pasted throughout the book. Since this book is dual-POV, the author had a perfect opportunity to add more inner dialogue or have Emery and Cam open up to each other -- anything to keep things engaging and show some relationship growth. Instead, the characters kept pushing each other away for reasons they never discuss directly with each other, which is why each scene between them feels like a rinse and repeat.

This lack of relationship growth is why the romance fell flat for me. They were pushing each other away until they just....weren't. Don't get me wrong, the spice was definitely there, so there's lust and physical attraction. But I need to see more emotional connection between them to buy into the romance.

Overall, it was an entertaining read. I think I'll read the next one because of the way this one ended, but it won't be a "read on release day" book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Some of my favorite books are "backpack fantasies" – those books where the characters are just traveling from point A to point B. There's something so satisfying about that slow-burn character development that can only happen when people are stuck together over the course of a long journey.

Warrior Princess Assassin is the perfect example of what I'm talking about. For most of the book, our three main characters are on a journey from one kingdom to another, which makes this book heavily character driven. If you're used to reading action heavy romantasys, the pacing might feel a little slow, but I felt this time with the characters was necessary for the romance to make sense later in the book.

Our three main characters are, you guessed it, a warrior (Ky), a princess (Jory), and an assassin (Asher). The author did a great job creating complex characters, all with believable flaws and character growth, and this book is multi-POV so we got to know what the characters were thinking throughout the story.

I enjoyed all the characters but Asher is the one who stole my heart. I wanted him to find happiness so badly. Throughout the book, the author uses his backstory to tackle themes of trauma, healing, and privilege in a way that feels authentic to the story. The author never makes it feel forced or heavy-handed, which is pretty commendable because these are all hefty topics.

Lastly, the communication between Jory, Ky, and Asher deserves a round of applause. They actually talk to each other like adults. No frustrating miscommunication trope. Love that for them (and us).

This book was such a good time! If you're looking for complex characters, genuine emotional connections, and are open to a poly romance, definitely give this book a shot. However, if you want a more plot heavy fantasy, you'll likely want to skip this one.

The way I immediately scoured the author's social media profiles hoping to find an announcement for a second book after I finished. I absolutely loved every single minute I spent reading Tale of Lilies.

The setting was whimsical and gorgeous, the pacing was spot-on, and the romance felt authentic and well-paced.

The writing itself is beautiful and evocative. Every detail felt purposeful and transported me into the world alongside the characters without saying too much and dragging on.

I also really appreciated the minimal world-building upfront. There's no info-dumping, just pieces of information, lore, and even poetry woven throughout the story. Since Delaira is adjusting to life beyond her quiet village, we're discovering Astelena and her kingdom's secrets right along with her. It all felt so organic and added this wonderful layer of mystery that kept me hooked. However, if you do enjoy large amounts of world-building in the beginning of a story, the structure of this book may not be your jam.

Even though Delaira is experiencing life outside her hometown for the first time, she's far from being a weak or naive FMC. She's feminine but strong and street smart, which felt so refreshing. She consistently made smart decisions and could hold her own. Her character development throughout the book felt genuine and earned. As for side characters, I'm hoping we get to see more of that found family that emerged in the second half.

Last but not least, the romance was beautifully done. It had genuine tension, undeniable chemistry, and development that felt completely organic. Acoran is honestly the definition of a man written by a woman. He was tender, sweet, and oh so flirty.

Overall, if you're interested in a story that feels like escaping into a fairy tale with a beautiful romance, pick this book up! However, if you're looking for a heart-stopping, thrilling fantasy with intense battle scenes or plot twists every few chapters, this might not be your cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I begrudgingly started this series as part of the recommended spoiler-free reading order for the Zodiac Academy series. After the cliffhanger at the end of the third Zodiac Academy book, it took me a little while to shift gears and commit to this series, but I'm glad I did.

If you're familiar with the pacing, writing, and characters in Zodiac Academy, you'll know what to expect here. If you're new to these authors, think trashy reality TV in book form (in a good way!). Characters are over-the-top, vibes trump plot, but it's entertaining. I was really craving something fun that I could get into quickly, and anything written by these authors is a go-to.

That said, establishing the characters, their backstories, and relationships takes up most of the pages in this book and seems to take place over the span of a few months. Some readers may feel like the story is full of filler or drawn out. I really enjoyed it, but if you're looking for denser plot and world-building, this one may not be for you.

Because there weren't a ton of details about the world and plot to keep track of, I really enjoyed all of the POVs (there are six), especially with the murder mystery element. We have four suspects plus Elise, with Elise's brother in an alternate timeline revealing his interactions with the boys. I suspected all the boys at different points and still don't know who I'm most suspicious of!

As for the romance, this book was my first foray into the reverse harem trope, and I think I've found a new favorite, especially with the unhinged possessiveness between the boys. Elise refuses anything serious, which made the dynamic between all of them even more fun as they groveled for her attention. I was smiling and kicking my feet throughout the whole book.

Overall, this read was fun, though I am curious how this plot will sustain five books.

Dark Fae is perfect if you're looking for a book that takes off right away and is easy to follow. Skip if you want complex world-building and dense storytelling.

I really enjoyed Assistant to the Villain and Apprentice to the Villain. I went into this book excited to see more of the hilarious characters, the charming fairytale-esque setting, and get more answers on their quest to save Renedawn.

There is a lot I loved about this book -- mostly the beginning and the end, but there's still plenty of hilarious banter, a good found family vibe, and interesting storylines in between. Evie's character growth is more prominent here than in the other two books, and I loved seeing her transform even more into a charming villainess. And the yearning and tension between Trystan and Evie? Check and check! This book has both.

However, I just couldn't find myself fully immersed in the story. I think a lot of this stems from it being told from too many points of view and the content being mostly filler.

The side character POVs mostly covered their own romances with other side characters (Blade/Becky, Clare/Tatianna, etc.) plus some side quests related to the main plot. Since none of the side romances were main storylines before, I wasn't invested in seeing the relationship growth up close. I'd rather have heard about them through Evie, Trystan, or even better, Kingsley 🐸, and kept the relationship details off-page.

Even with all the jumping between POVs, the book was pretty uneventful until about 90%. Not every book needs to go at a breakneck pace, but this book moved so slowly that it made me wonder if this series would have been better off as a trilogy.

Overall, I think this could be a good read if you're a super fan of this series, are really invested in seeing the side romances through, or if you're looking for an audiobook that doesn't have a really complex plot to follow.

The next book will still be on my TBR, but I don't think it'll be a "must read on release day" book.

3.75 ⭐️ Rounded up

I'd like to thank Vicious Princess for single-handedly getting me out of a reading slump! I was in the mood for a quick-moving plot with a fast, steamy romance and this definitely delivered.

I know, I know, the synopsis is a tale as old as time in the fantasy romance genre, but there's something about the military setting paired with forbidden romance and the superior/subordinate dynamic that hits every single time for me!

In my opinion, this book is overwhelmingly focused on the romance and it moved very fast. We also really don't get much interaction with side characters other than Phoenix's one friend Roman (who I adored 😍), so if you're looking for a fantasy-heavy plot or a bunch of fun side characters, this probably won't scratch that itch.

So the vibes all around were great but there were a few things that left me with questions that I hope will get resolved later in the series.

It's not really clear how parts of the plot and setting are connected to each other. For instance, Phoenix's family was killed in the human land and it's not clear how joining the protector unit in the fae land helps her avenge their murder. There were also a few other plot points that seemed like a big deal but then were never brought up again. I'm really hoping we pick all those loose threads back up in the next book.

While the ending gave us a glimpse into the future, I don't think it was the best way to bridge us to the next book. It jumps from Phoenix's POV to the POV of a person we haven't met for the last three chapters. I think the ending might have worked better for me if it had ended with the last chapter from Phoenix's perspective followed by the new person's chapters condensed into a 3-5 page epilogue.

All in all, I had fun reading this book and I'm definitely going to keep my eyes out for the next one in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and Karolina Wilde for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!