Weekend Reads: Top 4 Anticipated Releases (Kimberly)

 It's December already! And I have four great books for you to put on your reading wishlist!

I decided to do something a little different to close out 2022. Instead of reviewing a single book, I thought it would be more fun to list the four books I'm most excited about reading in the near future. The first three books will release in December and the fourth will release in early February. So here are my top picks in order of their release dates.

#1 - The King's Captive: Magiford Supernatural City (Gate of Myth and Power #1) by K.M. Shea

Releases December 16, 2022

I can turn into a housecat.

It’s a fun magic, except in a world filled with vampires and werewolves, it doesn’t exactly make me a powerhouse. Instead, the supernatural community has classified me as an outcast, which means one thing: Picking on me is open season all day, every day.

The local fae are the worst of all, and it’s during one of their regular “capture the cat-girl” sessions that I shift into my cat form and meet HIM for the first time.

Noctus is so powerful his magic radiates off him like a sun, and my fae captors can barely look in his general direction. And then my life gets even more terrifying when Noctus decides to take me with him. As a pet.

Why did he pick today to “adopt don’t shop” a cat?

It gets worse when I realize he’s an elf, a ruling race of supernaturals that was supposedly killed off centuries ago.

But he’s not just any elf, no. He’s an elven king, with heaps of secrets to protect. Secrets that I am quickly learning since he includes his new pet in everything from breaking into buildings to inspect classified paperwork to tracking down sketchy supernaturals.

All this means if he gets even a hint that I’m not a real cat, I’m going to find out firsthand how elves treat their prisoners.

So, escaping Noctus is priority #1. How hard can it be? (Answer: very.)

King’s Captive is the first book in the Gate of Myth and Power urban fantasy trilogy, and is part of the Magiford Supernatural City world. It features elves, fae, werewolves, and vampires, and contains an adventure-filled and hilarious take on the Hades and Persephone myth. It’s packed with humor, battles, and a sweet, slow burn romance between an outcast magic user and the deadly king of the elves.

My Thoughts: I'm so excited to return to the wonderful world that is Magiford! Shea writes such a fun light noblebright urban fantasy world and with so many great layered characters (main and secondary) that every entry into the Magiford Supernatural City universe is a guaranteed delight. And this time there are ELVES!!! With the new trilogy launching NEXT Friday, I cannot wait to read how Shea has adapted Hades and Persephone into her own unique spin.

#2 - The Rogue Princess: A Retelling of Puss in Boots (Return to the Four Kingdoms Book 5) by Melanie Cellier

Releases December 26, 2022

Kali has always dreamed of adventure, but she never expected to find it in the company of a talking cat. Puss definitely has an agenda, but he isn’t sharing it with her. All she knows is that he wants a miller’s child to accompany him across the Great Desert to the mysterious lands beyond.

Kali doesn’t mean to let her opportunity go, even if she doesn’t understand the purposes of the mysterious creature at her side. But when she encounters thieves and misadventure, she realizes something bigger is underway. Her people are under threat, and she can’t turn her back on them—no matter how irritated she is by the fellow traveler who turns up wherever she goes. Kali knows Xavier isn’t to be trusted, but she and Puss need his help. Only together can they avoid the traps laid for her and uncover the truth.

In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, Puss in Boots, a miller’s daughter will have to trust a tricksy cat and a handsome young man if the three of them have any hope of saving her people.

If you enjoy clean romance, adventure, and intrigue, then try the books in the Return to the Four Kingdoms series now! These interconnected fairy tale retellings each feature a different heroine who finds herself friendless in a strange land and who must fight to save her new home and win her happily ever after.

My Thoughts: After traveling across the desert and exploring new kingdoms for the last two books, we're headed back to the Four Kingdoms proper in this latest entry. Three series into this world and I always enjoy the way Cellier twists familiar and sometimes obscure fairytales into fresh interpretations. This time we have the added bonus of a talking feline. The blurb promises an adventure and I am extremely curious to see how Cellier puts her own spin on Puss in Boots. 

#3 - Song of Ebony: A Snow White Retelling (The Singer Tales Book 1) by Deborah Grace White

Releases December 26, 2022

In a city trapped in the treetops, one princess’s song will change everything

Crown Princess Bianca has always been unusual, from her snow-white hair to the strange way her words dance. But just like every other Selvanan, she’s restricted to the trees, unable to set foot on the deadly soil. That is, until her stepmother betrays her on the eve of her coronation, sending Bianca to the ground to die. Except the jungle floor is not what Bianca expected—from supposedly mythical elves to magic gone wild, it seems there’s much she didn’t know about both her kingdom and herself.

Prince Farrin never intended to get trapped in Selvana forever. He only came to find a cure for his brother’s terrible affliction. But after two years, he’s no closer to his goal. And his continued survival depends on his ability to navigate both the treacherous Selvanan jungle and the ways of the bargain-loving miniature elves.

When he crosses paths with an exiled princess, his course takes an abrupt change. It’s not just because he’s rattled by his all-consuming determination to keep the princess safe. More Selvanans than Bianca will pay with their lives if the pair can’t find a way to outwit her enemies and harness the power of Bianca’s voice.

Song of Ebony is the first installment in The Singer Tales, a series of interconnected standalone novels set on the continent of Providore, where magic is harnessed by singers. Each story follows a different heroine navigating everything from miniature elves to brutish giants as she chases her own happily ever after. If you enjoy strong heroines, clean romance, and fantasy worlds with a dash of intrigue, discover the world of The Singer Tales today.

My thoughts: White is a newer author but I've really enjoyed reading her different series from epic fantasy to fairytale retellings. Her Snow White retelling sounds so intriguing! I'm especially looking forward to finding out more about the magic system of singers!

#4 - The Elven Healer's Apprentice (Elves of Eldarlan Book 4) by Elisa Rae

Releases February 9, 2023

Merlon, the king of Eldarlan’s healer, hides his soft heart beneath a prickly exterior. Despite a traumatic childhood, he strives to excel as a healer and an elf. But he gets more than he bargained for when he rescues a human woman from certain death right before being snared in the curse put on the king of Eldarlan.

Left to fend for herself in an absent elf healer’s compound, Adela tries to be useful. The patients call her the healer’s apprentice. Something the healer rejects when he finally returns. Despite his grumpy manner, the healer displays a strange mixture of kindness and care. Intrigued, Adela suspects the healer hides more than he reveals.

The Elven Healer’s Apprentice is a light, fantasy romance novella about a romance between an elven healer and a human woman. It features a grumpy sunshine romance where opposites attract when they encounter forced proximity and jeopardy.

My Thoughts: Some of you may remember that Elisa Rae is the magical fantasy pen name of our own Rachel Rossano and she's releasing the fourth book in her elven series! I have loved the three previous entries in this series. The elves are fun and both unique yet familiar. The grumpy healer Merlon has been one of my favorite side characters from the previous books and I'm so excited he's getting his own story! And a human love interest who can hold her own with this grump with a heart of gold! February can't get here soon enough!

This is my final entry for 2022 so I wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May your reading stockings be filled with excellent reads!

Kimberly

Top Comfort Reads: Magiford Supernatural City Urban Fantasy by K.M. Shea (Kimberly)

Happy first Friday of 2022! This is a special look at one of my top comfort reads! The Magiford Supernatural City universe by K.M. Shea.

I reviewed the first two books of the Hall of Blood and Mercy Series in April 2020, which you can read in full HERE. At the time, I was sooo grateful that K.M. Shea ventured into urban fantasy, bringing along her trademark humor, engaging action, and a sweet (slow burn) romance between a vertically challenged wizard and the most lethal vampire in town. Two and a third series into this world and I am so glad that she has created a non-gritty and humorous take on popular urban fantasy tropes with laugh out loud moments, heart touching FEELS, and sweet romantic relationships that twist certain toxic tropes on their heads to feature healthy relationships between each couple and their friend/family groups.

Hazel and Killian were so much fun and a healthy take on the vampire love interest. And this is not a gritty urban fantasy world. 

Even when we ventured into the decidedly toxic superficial backstabbery that was the "game" of the Fae, especially in the Night Court, Shea used humor and a stubborn half-human heroine turned VERY reluctant queen to lighten a potentially gritty entry into something that makes you laugh and warm your heart. The trilogy develops Leila and Rigel (a hero who starts off as the assassin who tries to kill her) and their crazy fun cast including the night mares into an unexpected crew you just need to root for as certain mysteries unfold. You can find fellow blogger Rachel's January 2021 review of the Court of Midnight and Deception HERE.

I am very much a romantic so I adore these couples. They are some of my favorites I've ever read because they're real and adhere to healthy relationships and boundaries. However, I also love the colorful characters who make up the supporting casts from the hilariously morbid poet vampire named Josh to the Paragon of the Fae and his antics (not to mention his Sphinx cat named Aphrodite and all the crazy cat parent actions you could possibly imagine) to the Night Court who are often...confused yet enthusiastic by Leila's clever tricks to beat the "game". The fae playing put-put scene is fantastic! And Chase the werewolf who gives us the road to the newest trilogy, Pack of Dawn and Destiny. I am not going to go into details in this post. I'll just say I love the werwolves. So very much.

This world is one I kept coming back to from the moment I finished the first trilogy. While I've always read and enjoyed Urban Fantasy, I will be the first to admit this genre leans toward gritty. I cannot do gritty in my reading right now at all. If a book or series is described as dark, gritty, angsty, or traumatic, I put it aside for some future time when I can handle the darker books again. So I am focused on reading the lighter feeling books, ones where they can have deep heart touching moments that pluck at the FEELS but also keep the very hopeful and uplifting atmosphere. I need to laugh and smile more than usual these days. I'm sure many of you feel the same. K.M. Shea is one of the authors I can trust to always provide a good read that is ultimately hopeful. And it shines the most clearly for me through the Magiford Supernatural City where urban fantasy is allowed to be funny and hopeful and full of light, cheer, and healthy relationships along with sweet romance. 

If' you've never tried urban fantasy before, I strongly encourage you to start here with the wonderful wizards, vampires, fae, and werewolves of Magiford. The trilogies are lightly connected with cameos and a large universe arc as one subplot that is slowly coming together. I would recommend starting with Hall of Blood and Mercy for the most enjoyment and a full appreciation of the delightful cameos.

As a special bonus, Hazel and Killian's entire trilogy is on sale through January 10, 2022, which makes this the perfect weekend to enter Magiford Supernatural City! You can get it HERE!

What are some of your favorite comfort reads? 

Happy Reading!

Kimberly A. Rogers

Weekend Reads: King Arthur and Her Knights by K.M. Shea (Kimberly)

Launch your November curled up with a fantastically fun reimagining of the King Arthur legends!

King Arthur and Her Knights: The Complete Series by K.M. Shea

My Rating - 4.5 Stars

I have to admit that I was not expecting to love this series when I first picked it up at the beginning of this year. Genderswapped King Arthur? Or, more accurately, a modern day young woman magically transported back to the days of King Arthur and she's going to be the new king? Despite my love for K.M. Shea's other series, I was skeptical that I would enjoy this one on the same scale. I was very wrong. And I'm so glad I finally read it!

This is such a fun series! Britt Arthurs is transported from modern day England to the days of King Arthur (right before Arthur is supposed to pull the sword from the stone). The reason? Merlin is absolutely determined to see the warring little kingdoms of Britain united under one king. And he won't let minor details such as the real Arthur running away or that his magic has brought a woman from centuries in the future instead of a man stand in the way of his schemes to see Britain united. And he's not an old man either. This Merlin has more in common with the BBC tv series than the aged wizard of legend as far as looks and age are concerned. 

I love Britt and her journey. She started out knowing little of the King Arthur legends aside from what was in her guidebook (which made the journey back in time with her) and a deep loathing for Lancelot (and Guinevere by default). Her starting the Lancelot Hate Club was a hilarious response to the usual fawning over the man. Especially when you find out who else is part of the club. But Britt is just as determined as Merlin about certain things, such as teaching her knights to be the chivalrous men of legend and acquiring the Round Table if it's the last thing she does. Britt has such a great growth arc in this series and even her knowledge from the guidebook serves as part of her foibles.

Britt and Merlin have a fantastic and funny relationship filled with all the feels, especially as the series moves on. But I also adore her knights and their relationships with her as well as the different ways they change throughout the series. Sir Kay is an awesome big brother to her, even if he can be a smidge overprotective. ;)

Whether you're familiar with the King Arthur legends or only know bits and pieces, I highly recommend this series! With the trademark K.M. Shea humor, adventure, and sweet romance, this collection of six novellas and one novel is nearly a thousand pages long, which makes it a fantastic way to spend the weekend! And as a bonus, the collection is currently on sale for a limited time!

Happy Reading!

Kimberly A. Rogers

Weekend Reads: The Elves of Lessa by K.M. Shea (Kimberly)

It's that time again, lovely readers! Heading into the final days of August, I have the perfect series for your weekend binge needs. The Elves of Lessa by K.M. Shea is a series full of sweet romance, laugh out loud humor, and just the right amount of political intrigue in the backdrop of a fascinating epic fantasy world with elves and humans. 

The Red Rope of Fate (The Elves of Lessa Book 1)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

So I first picked up this book a couple years ago after a friend recommended it to me based on the hero being my type. And she was right. Arion is the very proper human captain who's a stoic with a dry wit and a heart of fluffy gold buried beneath the surface. And I do love him. Especially as he grows more aware of what Tari wants from him (using his words to express his buried feelings is a big thing lol). Arion and Tari are such opposites but they work so well together. They're fun yet sweet.

Red Rope of Fate is a fun introduction into the world of Lessa where the Lesser Elves have a long standing treaty with the Humans of Calnor. There's just one catch - They cannot communicate with each other. So they use a magic ceremony to create a bond of friendship between the human royals and the most compatible noble elves and create a bridge between souls that would ideally bypass any need for translators. Unfortunately, that ideal was never reached . . . until Tari and Arion are bonded. Tari and Arion cause a huge stir when they can understand each other (and only each other) despite the language barrier.

As with every Shea book, the characters are the true heart of the story. Beyond Tari and Arion, my personal favorites are the two kings (they remind me very much of the kings from animated Sleeping Beauty), Seer Rinagli who is this caustic sarcastic hilariously unpredictable elf and Tari's training master among the Evening Stars (dancers/warriors with magic), and the Trio of Daftness a group of three honor guard soldiers who are hilariously incompetent when it comes to being proper soldiers much to Arion's chagrin and Tari's delight. And they're supposed to keep Tari out of trouble. I laugh so hard when these three are allowed to talk.

There's also a bit of political intrigue involving the nuances of the human court and Arion's family due to his sister marrying the youngest prince. Plus the challenges of certain people trying to separate Tari and Arion for varying reasons including crown prince Benjimir acting a little bit like Loki (an antagonist for a perfectly logical reason in his mind). All these elements and characters come to together to create a fun rich beginning to the world of Lessa that's simply a joy to read!

Royal Magic (The Elves of Lessa Book 2)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Oh Benjimir. He's too clever for his own good, which is what got him into the situation he's in when we return to Lessa and Calnor in book two of the series. This book picks up a couple years after the end of Red Rope of Fate and introduces Gwendafyn, the younger princess of the Lesser Elves. Fyn is struggling against the expected sedateness of Lesser Elves because of traditions wrapped in the past where showing too much passion and feelings is shied away from for fear of making humans view them like the war-loving High Elves who sailed away centuries ago. She is too much according to her aunt and utterly miserable acting as regent in the elven court while her parents and elder sister live in the human court at Haven. When she reaches her breaking point, she decides she must do something even if it's as crazy as marrying the former crown prince since he's the only other human who speaks enough elvish without being too intimidated by her mere presence like the translators.

Ben's story is one that could have been a struggle because we do meet him first as a somewhat antagonist in RRF and turning him into the protagonist can be hard. But Shea does an absolutely fantastic job turning him from misguided antagonist into an adorable yet annoying sass master not quite antihero who just needs someone willing to put up with him. And also challenge him properly. Which Fyn provides in spades. And almost from the very beginning, his good qualities are sneaking out. 

Seer Ringali is present again. As is the Trio of Daftness, who are as kooky as ever. I continue to love the kings and their friendship as well as their relationships with their children. We get more of the queen's nastiness and hand in certain political issues too. All in all it makes for another fun entry into the world of Lessa and I loved getting more hints about the High Elves as well as the glimpses of how humans and elves are slowly coming together in true friendship beyond what was traditional.

The Prince's Bargain (The Elves of Lessa Book 3)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

The newest entry in the Elves of Lessa series is just so adorable! I love how we've switched the character archetypes completely with Arvel and Myth, two bookworms who are definitely not harboring any martial inclinations and are both forced into positions they hadn't originally planned. Arvel into the position of crown prince and Myth into the role of royal social translator when she only ever planned and wanted to be a trade translator. No social nuances to learn or worse political discussions to endure if she's dealing with precise facts and numbers.

Myth is definitely one of my favorite characters now. She gets so flustered around Arvel when he starts acting like the "Prince of Seduction" (flirting is terrifying lol). And he very much enjoys ruffling her feathers. Oh I laughed so hard every time we get to one of her "Ack, the Prince of Seduction is back!" moments.

Arvel and Myth also have a fantastic growth arc as they learn to be more confident in themselves as well as proving they're not to be underestimated by the court. Oh I also have to add I loved that the elven queen finally had her own moment to shine in this book thanks to Myth providing an opportunity (and truthful translation). After being such prominent members of the first two books, I was definitely missing the Trio of Daftness when they popped up in the second half of the book. But their big scene so made up for that earlier absence. I almost hurt myself laughing at the scene from beginning to end. Shea also does the best job of one-upping their previous performances!

The Elves of Lessa is a fun group of interconnected standalone books. I love every minute of each one as well as each couple. Every couple is loved for a different reason since they all bring different personalities and interactions into play for their individual romances. There are more books to come and I, for one, cannot wait to read them! In the meantime, this series is a great read no matter how many times I come back to it and it always leaves me with a smile! It's the perfect choice for a feel good pick me up read!

Have you read this series yet? What did you think? Who are your favorite characters?

Until next time,

Kimberly

Weekend Reads: Hall of Blood and Mercy series by K.M. Shea (Kimberly)

Hi everyone! If you're anything like me, you are digging into books for some relief from our currently crazy real world circumstances. And I am so excited to share about a brand new series by one of my favorite authors, K.M. Shea!

This series is a new Urban Fantasy take inspired by a fairytale, Donkeyskin to be exact. Donkeyskin is not a fairytale for the faint of heart nor does it lend itself easily to non-horror retellings. That said, Shea shows why she is one of the queens of fairytale retellings because she found the perfect venue for tackling Donkeyskin while taking the cringe inducing parts of the story out. And I love it.

Magic Forged (Hall of Blood and Mercy Book 1)

My rating: 4.5 stars

Let me preface this by saying Urban Fantasy is one of my top favorite genres and I have read a TON of it over the years, both traditionally and indie published. However, Magic Forged is officially one of my top all time favorites ever and I do not see that changing any time soon. I was up all night reading this one even though I knew I had commitments the next day. I regret nothing. This book is so worth the lost sleep!

Hazel Medeis is a wizard, a severely vertically challenged one with a bit of a power problem. Being the Heir of a small pacifist wizarding house isn't made any easier with the death of her parents and then a coup by an unscrupulous jerk of a cousin. Forced out on her own, Hazel only escapes her cousin's schemes by pledging herself to the service of Killian Drake the supreme vampire in the region. Who may or may not be trustworthy.

This book is not a doom and gloom approach to Urban Fantasy nor is it overly gritty. Even though heartstrings are pulled and wrenched by the opening circumstances driving Hazel into House Drake. One of Shea's strong points in all her books is the wit/humor and the sheer character of the people and animals and even, in this case especially, houses. I love the humor and banter in this book and I absolutely adore the characters, especially Killian and his top two vampires, Celestina and Josh. They are not what you expect from UF vampires really. Killian tries, he tries to be the intimidating looming dark and mysterious vampire but his devilish sense of humor and Hazel's ability to bait him into snarky banter ruins it all. And Celestina is one of my favorites because she's Killian's First Knight (second in command) but she loves girl talk and shopping and self-pampering at the salon complete with mani pedis. Josh is . . . I'm laughing just trying to write about him. I never thought that a poetically morose vampire would be so much fun but he's so unexpected (without being truly over the top) that he just works. Also he's essentially a walking armory as the Second Knight. Hazel's reactions to everyone makes for so many laugh out loud moments. That's not even touching on the rest of the cast including a fae with a bald cat called Aphrodite.

This book is so much fun and there's a lot of humor and snark and banter. But Hazel also has a discernible growth arc because she has the "annoyingly virtuous moral compass" as Killian likes to describe it. Which I love. She doesn't compromise the true core of who she is even as she grows although she learns that what she's been taught all her life and what is truly right don't necessarily match up.

Magic Redeemed (Hall of Blood and Mercy Book 2)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Can I just take a moment to scream because this book has so many FEEEELS! I adore book two as much as I loved book one. Hazel is coming into her own and we get more Killian POV scenes (YESSSS!!!) with even more of the vampires and their snarky existence with the vertically challenged wizard. However, there's still the problem of the House and Hazel's continued weight of responsibility as the Heir.

Once again the characters and the banter are my favorite parts. I also love that we get even more of the House and its personality in this book. And Hazel has to come to terms with her power, the sealing of her power, and the way it was unlocked in book one. She does have more angst going on toward her parents but it never gets TOO heavy for the overall lighter tone of the series. It's nicely broken up by antics and snark. I do love it when Josh spouts something about death and another vampire has to tell him "That's not comforting."

Killian and Hazel. Oh my good gracious gravy! These two are on one of those slow burn romances that put you on the Feels rollercoaster. Cue Gollum screams at a certain spoiler. Right in the feels!

There's so much more I want to say about the things I loved and raved about with this one but I can't. Because SPOILERS! All I can say is I'm so glad the third book in this series is out today because I need it. I need it now. ;)

If you have never tried Urban Fantasy before, start with this series. It's a fresh take on the standard tropes of wizards, vampires, fae, and shifters in some of the best ways. It's not too harsh but not mindless fluff either. It falls perfectly into the category of Urban Fantasy with lots of heart and humor, which is honestly my favorite of them all.

Have you read this series already? What did you think?

Until next time,

Kimberly A. Rogers