#yafantasy

Daughter of Thieves by Lichelle Slater

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About the Book

Title: Daughter of Thieves
Author: Lichelle Slater
Series: Sands of Wonder #1
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: November 13, 2021

A street rat. A magic lamp. An obnoxiously handsome prince.

What should have been an easy-in, easy-out job with my father became a nightmare when he was arrested by the soldiers of Zunbar. As if things couldn’t get any more complicated, my estranged mother has demanded I enter the Desert Trials and find the magic lamp hidden inside the Dragon’s Lair cave.

The Desert Trails: a series of ten tasks to prove a sorceress’s proficiency in the art of magic.

How hard could it be?

Only, I wasn’t blessed with the gift of magic.

Surviving the trials is only part of the problem. I’ve inadvertently partnered with Prince “Abu” and he’s bent on taking the magic lamp from me. I’m not about to let some dashing prince steal my father’s freedom.

But the Dragon’s Lair is more like the Cave of Nightmares, and I can’t escape without Prince Abudar’s help. If we don’t work together, we might not make it out alive, and I am not wasting my only wish in order to escape.

With the chance to make a single wish, can a street rat finally prove her worth? Find out in this adventure-packed, gender-swapped retelling of Aladdin!

Purchase your copy here!

About the Author

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Personal dragon trainer, lover of glitter, writer of fantasy.

Lichelle Slater isa USA Today Bestselling author and was nominated for “Unforgettable Book of the Year” for The Beast Princess and “Mind-Blowing Fantasy of the Year” for The Siren Princess at Penned Con 2020, and as “Best Debut Author” for Step Right Up (now Circus in the Stars: Ringmaster) at UtopiaCon in 2017.

Reading has always been a huge passion, from The Hobbit to Goosebumps. Some of her fondest memories are at the library or being read to, and when she embarked on my journey of becoming an author, she did so with the dream of sharing the worlds in her mind with others.

She currently lives in Salt Lake City, UT with her adorable King Charles, Perseus, and works full-time as a special education preschool teacher.

My Review

Daughter of Thieves
by Lichelle Slater
Book 1 in the Sands of Wonder series
Rating: 4/5

After reading another story from the author, I was excited to join her ARC team for her new series, Sands of Wonder. I am a huge fan of fairytale retellings and this reimagining did not disappoint. The adventurous story is full of action, mystery, and romance. Who doesn’t love a heroine who can succeed without magic when everyone else has magic?

Caspara’s character is feisty and loyal and has no magic. I loved her character and how “unaffected” she was by Prince Abudar. She was some the reader wanted to root for. As the story continued, more and more events kept me reading to early in the morning (lost some sleep) but it was definitely worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed Prince “Abu” too and was thoroughly surprised at the end of chapter 17. The author did a good job and the story is well written and very entertaining. I loved all the characters – with some from her prequel – and need to read more. The book ends with some unresolved occurrences and I will be reading what comes next.

I also loved that the author included a map and some spell translations.

Highly recommend this exciting, adventurous YA fantasy with romance and intrigue.

PG-13 content.

My thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Also Available

The Sultan and the Storyteller (A Villain's Ever After) by [Lichelle Slater] — Prequel to the Sands of Wonder series

Read my review of The Sultan and the Storyteller here!

November 13, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews

Enamored by Jody Hedlund

About the Book

Title: Enamored
Series: Knights of Brethren #1
Author: Jody Hedlund
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Northern Lights Press
Release Date: November 9, 2021

During a time when legends were born . . .

ENAMORED

A princess in need of a husband, a young Sage who cannot have her, and a web of deceit that threatens their love.

Having been raised by her childless aunt and uncle, the king and queen, Princess Elinor finds herself the only heir to the throne of Norvegia. As she comes of age, she must choose a husband to rule beside her, but she struggles to make her selection from among a dozen noblemen during a weeklong courtship.

With aspirations to become the wisest man in the land, Maxim is summoned home by his father Rasmus, a Royal Sage. Reunited with Elinor, once his closest friend, Maxim is quickly enamored with her even though he can never be considered a prospect for her husband.

Elinor’s feelings for Maxim are rekindled too . . . until she learns he has been unwillingly drawn into Rasmus’s scheme to take control of the throne. With the kingdom under attack both from within and without, can Elinor and Maxim overcome the deceit spinning around them? Or will it destroy their love once and for all?

The real story of Excalibur.

Grab your copy here!

About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

My Review

Enamored
by Jody Hedlund
Book 1 in the Knights of Brethren series
Rating: 4/5

“God always gives us the exact amount of courage we need to face whatever task he puts before us.”

Wow! This reimagining of the story of Excalibur is adventurous and passionate and full of intelligent characters. The author is incredibly talented in making the reader fall in love with the main characters and want to see them together. However, I wish there was more world-building and felt that it will probably happen in the next few books. This particular story is more along the lines of retelling Merlin’s story then one of the knights of the round table.

“She was and always would be the sunrise in the dark shadows of my life.”

Jodie Hedlund writes a story of love unrequited that comes to a point of betrayal. She manages to weave her faith into the story in a subtle and tasteful manner. The love between the main characters is believable and one the reader will root for.

“If you let your fear determine your steps, you will always falter.”

The message of not letting fear rule your life is an important one. The characters must find a way to deal with their past fears and hurts to learn to love and trust again. I actually wasn’t sure the book was going to end on a happier note because it was a series and could technically continue their love story in the next book. However, the book can be read as a standalone.

“While I wanted more—a banquet of loving her for the rest of my life—I would gladly settle for any crumbs she might throw my way. Yes, I loved her enough that I would take even the smallest of crumbs.”

Highly recommend if you enjoy reimagined Arthurian tales with clean yet passionate romance, adventure and political intrigue!

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

November 2, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews

Book Review: Unleashing Fire by Julie Hall

About the Book

Title: Unleashing Fire
Series: Fallen Legacies #3
Author: Julie Hall
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: July 22, 2021

The world will ignite and so will I.

The Forsaken hunger for vengeance, leaving Steel and me with no choice but to follow Camiel to the only place strong enough to protect me—Eden, an ancient, hidden city darkened by my family’s secrets.

But Eden isn’t the safe haven I expected, and family runs deeper than blood.

As Thorne grows stronger by the day, his Fallen forces threaten to raze London—and then the world—to cinders. In order to stop him, the entire angelic community has to unite, but ancient feuds and millennia of prejudice put everything at risk.

My heart knows where I belong—fighting beside my loved ones—but I have a secret that could doom them all. There’s a dark power growing inside me, hellish and spiraling beyond my control.

The realms have merged. The darkness calls to me. And there’s only one thing standing in my way . . . Steel.

Fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Cassandra Clare will love this Crescent City meets Crave mash up!

Purchase this book to conclude Emberly and Steel’s epic adventure of fantasy, magic, romance, angel lore, and found family! ♥

Click HERE to grab your copy or read on Kindle Unlimited!

About the Author

My name is Julie Hall and I’m a USA Today bestselling, multiple award-winning author. I read and write YA paranormal / fantasy novels, love doodle dogs and drink Red Bull, but not necessarily in that order. My daughter says my super power is sleeping all day and writing all night . . . and well, she wouldn’t be wrong. I believe novels are best enjoyed in community. As such, I want to hear from you! Please connect with me as I regularly give out sneak peeks, deleted scenes, prizes, and other freebies to my friends and newsletter subscribers.

My Review

Unleashing Fire
by Julie Hall
Book 3 in the Fallen Legacies series
Rating: 4.5/5

“Despite everything, I smile. The girl might be a bit of a head case, but she’s my head case.”

As always, I was excited to get my hands on an ARC of Unleashing Fire (although I preordered a copy) by Julie Hall since she is one of my favorite fantasy authors. She did such a great job writing the action and kissing scenes lol. This book is full of action, mystery and suspense in this supernatural world that she’s built since the first book. However, there’s also the brilliant relationship between the main characters that keeps the reader coming back. This book is written from multiple perspectives which keeps the book super interesting and also includes beautiful illustrations of the characters. In the beginning I did find the book a little confusing because of all the characters I had to remember. I wish there was a glossary for the characters (the author has a glossary at the end with the different types of angels and celestial classifications which is informative) or a family tree lol.

The story continues as Emberly must figure out why she keeps blacking out and Steel fights to keep her in his sights. The gang is all here with some new characters. Tinkle is a favorite and shows just how powerful he is. New love interests seem to be developing – I hope the author is going to expand this universe and tell some of the other characters’ stories. (She certainly sets it up that way). The team battles the Fallen and Forsaken and tries to find out what the plan is and stop it before the mortal world is overrun with the spiritual realm. Lots of battles – not overly bloody and graphic but enough to give the reader an idea of what’s happening. I thoroughly enjoyed this entire series and Julie Hall goes out with a bang! She’s created an exciting world of supernatural creatures and characters that draw the reader in and make them want to return again and again.

“Steel is mine, today and forever, and nothing can change that. The depth and breadth of my love for him only makes my power burn brighter. He’s seared upon my soul.”

Highly recommend if you enjoy clean YA fantasy with lots of action and a beautiful romance. PG-13 content.

My thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Books in the Fallen Legacies Series

July 22, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews

Inside the Wong Mind: Reading is my therapy

Hello. This blog is all mine and I will do my best to post what interests me and what books I read with honest reviews. I am a lover of good Christian fiction with a touch of romance, mystery, intrigue, humor, fun, etc. I invite you to join me as I read my way through books and life. I am currently pursuing my residency training as a family medicine physician!!! I have to carefully choose what I want to read for fun. My name is Kim and you are entering the Wong Mind.