Book Review: Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven

Author: Grace Draven

Title: Phoenix Unbound

(Fallen Empire #1)

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 400 

Published: September 25th 2018

Where I Got It: Amazon

Summary: 

Every year, each village is required to send a young woman to the Empire's capital - her fate: to be burned alive for the entertainment of the masses. For the last five years, one small village's tithe has been the same woman. Gilene's sacrifice protects all the other young women of her village, and her secret to staying alive lies with the magic only she possesses.

But this year is different.

Azarion, the Empire's most famous gladiator, has somehow seen through her illusion, and is set on blackmailing Gilene into using her abilities to help him escape his life of slavery. And unknown to Gilene, he also wants to reclaim the birthright of his clan.

To protect her family and village, she will risk everything to return to the Empire and burn once more.

Review:

This author really has the most beautiful covers! And her stories are always so fresh and fun. 

This one we follow Gilene and Azarion. Every year villages are required to send a young woman to the Empire's capital to be sacrificed for their Gods and for the entertainment of the masses. Gilene has been sacrificed every year for the last five years because she is a fire witch and will survive the flames. However, this year is different because Azarion, the Empire's most famous gladiator, has somehow seen through her magic and is now set on blackmailing Gilene into using her abilities to help him escape this life of slavery and to reclaim his birthright of his clan. To protect her family and village, she will go along with him and maybe they can end the Empire.

I will admit I struggled big time at the beginning. I just....just didn't care about Gilene or Azarion. Not sure why. I honestly wanted to quit and DNF this. But I have a personal rule to get to page 100 before officially tossing in the towel. 

And...here we are. I finished this bad boy. Not sure what happened...suddenly I could not put this down. I had to finish it. I can't pinpoint what changed. Randomly I liked our hero and heroine. I liked Azarion's clan. Not sure when or how or why, but I became invested and I had to finish this. I stayed up WAY too late reading this just to be done because it got really good, really fast. 

The Empire needs to burn. They are monsters. 

Gilene's village needs to burn too. Screw them. 

I loved Azarion's family and clan (grrr not that cousin though). I would want to be there. I loved how they worship the fire witches and that fire goddess. 

I want more in this world for sure. Book 2 has been sitting on my shelf for a while but I wanted to wait until I got to book 1. So glad this worked out in the end.

Honestly, I want more world-building and I would love to see more of Gilene's powers. 

Overall, something did not click for me in the beginning, but around page 90ish I was hooked. I had to read it as quickly as possible. The world is so interesting. I love our characters. This was everything you would want in a fantasy story. I'll stamp this with 3 stars. 

Challenge(s):

- #15 for Romance Bingo - Witch/Wizard

Audiobook Review: Entreat Me by Grace Draven

Author: Grace Draven 
Narrator: Stacey Holmes
Title: Entreat Me
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Retellings
Format: Audiobook 
Pages: 323 
Published: December 16th 2013
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)



Summary: Afflicted by a centuries-old curse, a warlord slowly surrenders his humanity and descends toward madness. Ballard of Ketach Tor holds no hope of escaping his fate until his son returns home one day, accompanied by a woman of incomparable beauty. His family believes her arrival may herald Ballard's salvation.

...until they confront her elder sister.

Determined to rescue her sibling from ruin, Louvaen Duenda pursues her to a decrepit castle and discovers a household imprisoned in time. Dark magic, threatening sorcerers, and a malevolent climbing rose with a thirst for blood won't deter her, but a proud man disfigured by an undying hatred might. Louvaen must decide if loving him will ultimately save him or destroy him.

A tale of vengeance and devotion.

Review:
I've loved previous novels by this author and I seen this was a freebie on Audiobook in my Escape Package so I jumped on the chance to listen!

The story follows Ballard and Louvaen. Ballard is afflicted by a centuries-old curse by his former wife. He and his son are slowly losing their humanity. Ballard has no hope until his son brings home a beautiful woman who may be the key to solving their curse. In comes Louvaen! She is determined to rescue her sister from becoming ruined by this stranger, she follows them to his castle and comes face-to-face with Ballard and his cursed life.  

This was for sure a huggggeeeeee and crazy take on Beauty and the Beast. I loved it. It was a nod to the classic, but it was completely different too. Very fun! I didn't even really realize it until Ballard gifted Louvaen a magic mirror and then it dawned on me! Too fun. 

I loved Louvaen. I want her to be my friend. 

Ballard was sweet. But I do understand WHY his dead wife cursed him. He wasn't a nice fellow back then. He was blood-thirsty and only cared about war and power. 100% warlord with a capital W. BUT F that wife. Why curse her poor son??? He was just a baby. Gah. She was a terrible lady too. 

I also liked Ballard's sorcerer and other staff members. They were fun and added a lot of charm to this otherwise dark story. Especially the sorcerer's and Lou's love/hate relationship. That was fun. Always throwing jabs and jokes at each other. I liked it. 

OMGGGG that baddie was a creep. He deserved a worse end!

The narrator was fantastic. She had me hooked from the first page. I could NOT stop listening. I finished this in just a couple of sittings. She really has a great range of voices. The sister's voice was annoying, BUT it fit her. 

Overall, I loved, loved, LOVED this story. I want to relisten to it! Maybe even read it one day to see if I like it just as much as the audio. I'll give this 5 stars for sure. Highly recommend it. 

Challenge(s):

- #27 for Audiobook Challenge

- #5 on THE BAD BOYS OF ROMANCE challenge

Bloduedd's Review: Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven

Audio CD, Unabridged 14 h

Narrator: Katherine McEwan

Expected publication: September 25th 2018 by Penguin Audio

Fallen Empire #1

Fantasy romance

Own

My Thoughts:

I'd say that the best part was the last 3 hours. Then it got really exciting, and there was death, war and destruction. All the good things in life. Ohhh good stuff, good stuff! Yes there the book was great, but the other 11 hours were good. And hey, good is good! Good means I will read more and so on. But after having listened to those last 3 hours, then I do wish the rest of the book could have been that great.

Gilene's village are a bunch of d#cks! I get it, I mean you do save others! But they should like worship the ground you walk on then the rest of the year. Why she had any loyalty to them *grinds teeth*

The Empire was a nasty bunch of people. The Empress needs to be beaten with her own entrails. What a sick piece of dung she was. It's not said but I sure wondered how many women were killed every year. Innocent women burnt. Death to the Empire!

Then there was Azarion. The things he has gone through these last 10 years! Poor man. Now wonder he lusts for vengeance. I say, go for it! Make that person pay!

SO yes. He takes her away because she is his only chance for freedom (not counting death). Obviously they will fall in love, but it takes time, which is understandable. He does kidnap her so he can reclaim his birthright. And she is all, but I must return to my village so I can be burnt and raped again next year! Oh girl, you need to stop protecting those dang villagers!

I must say, I did not exactly feel the romance. I only felt it on the last page. There I understood that they loved each other. I guess I would have wanted a bit more...before.

It was a good book. And when it ended I checked news for the next one at once, but arghhh, no blurb! I want to know if the next book is about them or someone else!!!!!

Conclusion:

Fire, destruction, mayhem, and two people slowly falling in love

Narrator Katherine McEwan

She did a good job, though I felt she sounded a bit too young. She would be a good fit for YA fantasy, but when you speak of rape and torture, well, then maybe a bit more mature. Still, excellent job,

Blurb:

A woman with power over fire and illusion and an enslaved son of a chieftain battle a corrupt empire in this powerful and deeply emotional romantic fantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of Radiance.

Every year, each village is required to send a young woman to the Empire's capital--her fate to be burned alive for the entertainment of the masses. For the last five years, one small village's tithe has been the same woman. Gilene's sacrifice protects all the other young women of her village, and her secret to staying alive lies with the magic only she possesses.

But this year is different. 

Azarion, the Empire's most famous gladiator, has somehow seen through her illusion--and is set on blackmailing Gilene into using her abilities to help him escape his life of slavery. Unknown to Gilene, he also wants to reclaim the birthright of his clan.

To protect her family and village, she will abandon everything to return to the Empire--and burn once more.

Carole and Blodeuedd's Best Book of the Month: January 2017

Hi All! Happy Feb! 

This is just a fun little meme that Blodeuedd and I are going to try  and do once a month. Give a little shout-out and "badge" of honor to our favorite book of the month! 

For January, I have decided to give the trophy to.........Eidolon by Grace Draven. 

"I picked this as the book of the month because I could hardly put this down. I enjoyed the first of the series, but this was even better. There was so much going on. So much drama and it really made me feel and think. This is an interesting world and interesting character. I can't wait for more. That is why I picked this for book of the month."

Now, Blodeuedd picked..........................Nothing to Envy  by Barbara Demick.

"I cannot say I had a best book for January. They were all kind of the same. Good, but nothing that was totally amazing. Instead, I will go for the most interesting book, which of course was Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick. It had me thinking, and it sure made me NOT want to live in North Korea. So that is my pick for January."

~*~*~*~*~

What was your favorite book of the month? Please share below! 

Book Review: Eidolon by Grace Draven

Author: Grace Draven
Title: Eidolon (Wraith Kings #2)
Genre: Paranomal Romance & Fantasy
Pages: ebook
First Published: April 18th 2016
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Got on Amazon)

In a bid for more power, the Shadow Queen of Haradis, unleashes a malignant force into the world. Her son Brishen, younger prince of the Kai royal house, suddenly finds himself ruler of a kingdom blighted by darkness. His human wife Ildiko must decide if he will give up the man she loves in order to save his throne. 

Three kingdoms on the verge of war must unite to save each other, and a one-eyed, reluctant king will raise an army of the dead to challenge an army of the damned.

Ready for the squeals of a fangirl? Ready freddy? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! SQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQUUUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEE! 

Now that I got that out of my system...

So, this is a sequel to Radiance. I do think the first book needs to be read in order to fully understand the main characters and the world overall. Everything seems to be going all hunky dory for the lovebirds then everything goes to Hell..literally. Brishen's horrible mother decides to unleash these demons from the underworld. Things happen and the fate of the kingdom and the whole world of the living rests in Brishen's hands. Poor guy. He for sure is the reluctant hero in this story. Ildiko has her own battles to deal with....should she stay or leave her true love for the sake of the throne. Why? She is human and he is not and no one will accept a human queen on that throne, so she is stuck in a bad place. 

Oh the drama was high and I had no idea how everything was going to be fixed. I was legit addicted and could hardly put this one down. 

I oddly think I liked this one better than  the first one D: 

My only issue is WHY Brishen's madre decided to think it was a good idea to let these nasty creatures free. WHY?! I don't understand at all. I get she wants power, but these creatures devour people and their magic....soooooo.....did she think she could control them? Was she testing Brishen because she knew what he would have to do to lock them back up? I just don't understand her motives. Maybe we are not really meant to truly get it. She is a crazy woman. 

Loved Brishen and Ildiko. Even with all the bad things happening they still made me chuckle and "awwwe" at their love. I do feel bad for them. BUT they got their wish...kinda sorta. I'm sad that this is their last book I believe. According to my research, the next book is going to be about Brishen's cousin. I'm intrigued, but I adored this couple. 

I really liked one character and I really wanted to get to know this character more. BUT NO!!!! I can never like a side character because it curses them. Sighs. Maybe the character will get a miracle and return??????? A gal can hope...right?

I loved the side story. That was entertaining! I was so worried for them! I think the girl should get a book or at least a short story. 

In the end, I could truly ramble about this book all day. I simply loved it. It was really, really good. For some reason, I liked it better than the first one? Maybe it was because I was scared and nervous about how everything was going to be fixed! I had a couple petty plot things I didn't care for: 1) The evil lady's motivates still confuse me and 2) Of course, my newfound favorite side character gets a nasty fate. PLEASE FIX IT, AUTHOR! But those are petty. I am drooling for the next book. I like this world a lot. MORE PLEASE! This shall get five stars of course. 

Book Review: Radiance by Grace Draven

Author: Grace Draven
Title: Radiance (Wraith Kings #1)
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Pages: ebook
First Published: February 2014
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Amazon)

THE PRINCE OF NO VALUE

Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined. 

THE NOBLEWOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE 

Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn’t just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she’s known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light. 

Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.

A couple of people I know have read this and highly recommended this book and the series. I was a little reluctant at first, but then  I found it on Amazon and decided to give a go.

What type of fool am I to deny this book for so long?

Comedy, romance, fantasy, drama, action, and so much more.

I laughed, I cried. I was addicted from page one. The story of Ildiko and Brishen was certainly unique. One is human and one is a Kai (I'm not sure how or what they really are - they are an older race who are considered "beastly" to the humans) and they are forced to marry to keep the two kingdoms at peace and united. They become friends through honesty and jokes. What else can you do when you are revolting to each other and have to spend the rest of your lives together?

Friendship slowly turns to love, but it takes a while and I'm glad it did. Seeing each other's souls is the only way to look past the ugliness and the cultural differences. I do feel worse for IIdiko since she had to move to his kingdom and change her diet and sleep schedule since the Kai hate the sunlight. She also has to deal with the malicious and deadly Queen who is Brishen's madre. Talk about the worse mother-in-law EVER! The bitch tried killing her after a few days there. SMH. 

All the characters were intriguing and I am looking forward to learning about them. I believe the third book in the series is about someone else. 

I think my only complaint was how evil the Queen is. I get it....but why? What is her motivation? Maybe it will be explained in the next book, but it seemed SO over-the-top on how evil she was. I didn't get anything about her. Like why make the alliance with the Gauri (humans) and her kingdom and then decide, "Eh - fuck it...let's kill my son and his bride and potentially spark a war that we agreed to avoid by this marriage. Yesssss!" Like what? This seems like too much work. I kinda get why the neighboring countries don't approve of the marriage, but why piss off two nations? Maybe I don't understand the politics of this world yet. It sure is a different world and maybe the next book will assist in my knowledge of the world and its politics. 

Besides my not understanding the whys and motivations, this was an excellent read. I do highly encourage lovers of fantasy to give this a chance. Yes, there is romance, but there is so much more going on. I shall stamp this with 4 stars. Nearly a five. ;)

Blodeuedd Reviews: Eidolon by Grace Draven

In a bid for more power, the Shadow Queen of Haradis has unleashed a malignant force into the

world. Her son Brishen, younger prince of the Kai royal house, suddenly finds himself ruler of a kingdom blighted by a diseased darkness and on the brink of war. His human wife Ildiko must decide if she will give up the man she loves in order to secure his throne. 

Three enemy kingdoms must unite to save each other, and a one-eyed, reluctant king must raise an army of the dead to defeat an army of the damned.

A tale of alliance and sacrifice.

My thoughts:

I have meant to write this review since yesterday, but I kind of just wanted to say squee, and let that be it.

Book 1 was just awesome, it made me snort, and I loved how they got to know each other. She saw past him looking like a dead eel with scary teeth, and he looked past her looking like a boiled mollusk. Awww, they are so sweet. Him calling her a hag, and she calling him, yes good times :D

She is human, he is not. They made an alliance. And now the country is falling apart cos of mummy dearest. Monsters are everywhere.

So this one is not really centered on the romance, more on the what the F will be do!? Everyone is gonna die!!!! And a bit of romance, as, oh it had me worried. Think about it, she is human, he is not. Others are not always happy with her.

The feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeels!

What I like about this one is the the lightness, the humour, the banter between them (and two others that had me giggling). The world, the feel of it. Aye, I enjoyed this one.

But I hear the next one is about another couple, which make me sad in a way. I'd love to read more, and I wish, I wish that one thing could be possible between them. That does make me sad.

But I am also happy that there will be more, and the next couple will be a hoot.

It feels like I jumped from one to the next in this review ;)

Conclusion;

Just read it

Cover

ok

ebook, 240 pages
Published April 18th 2016 by Grace Draven
Wraith Kings #2
Fantasy romance
Own