ARC Review: Scorched Skies by E.J. Mellow

Title: Scorched Skies
Author: E.J. Mellow
Series: Way of Wings #1
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Publisher: Montlake
Publication Date: April 15, 2025
Edition: Digital
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Powell's | 

Synopsis:

   In the divided world of Cādra, where the winged Volari rule over the earthbound Süra, Tanwen has never relished her life of secrecy, but hiding is her only means of survival. As the child of a forbidden union, her very existence is punishable by death.
    As the Crown Prince, Zolya is forced to fulfill his father’s every whim. Acting on orders, he captures Tanwen’s father and brother, whisking them away to his kingdom in the sky. Determined to save her family, Tanwen infiltrates the royal court disguised as a servant.
   Amid the palace’s intrigue, she realizes there’s more to save than just her family and more to Prince Zolya than meets the eye. As their worlds collide, their star-crossed relationship intensifies under the king’s oppression. With their loyalties pulling them in opposite directions, Tanwen and Zolya must decide if their love can bridge the divide or if they have flown too close to the sun.

From the award-winning author of the Mousai series comes book one in an epic duology inspired by the Icarus myth, about an outcast woman and a winged prince torn between forbidden love and born duty.

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Review: Howl for the Gargoyle by Kathryn Moon

Title: Howl for the Gargoyle
Author: Kathryn Moon
Series: Monster Smash Agency #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Self-Pub
Publication Date: December 3, 2023
Edition: Kindle
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

Synopsis:

   Hannah never wanted to be a werewolf. After over thirty years as a human, she finds her new life on the other side of the species line too full of sudden changes. Especially when those changes risk her band's chance at a world tour. Desperate for a way to slake the cravings and soothe the restless anger that arrives every month like clockwork, Hannah takes the advice of a friend and books a night with the Monster Smash Agency.
   In spite of being made of stone, Rafe is losing his touch. After years of rough work, he's starting to feel the grind. Sturdy and nearly indestructible, gargoyles can take a lot, but Rafe is pretty sure he can't take losing any more of his clients. Not if he wants to keep his job with MSA.
   Hannah and Rafe's partnership ought to be practical, but their chemistry carves a new path. This werewolf is unlike any client Rafe has worked with yet, and he's determined to make her howl his name.  

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ARC Review: Stardust Child by Melissa J. Cave

Title: Stardust Child
Author: Melissa J. Cave
Series: Empire of the Stars #2
Genre: Romance/Politics/Fantasy
Publisher: Owl and Bear, LLC
Publication Date: April 11, 2025
Edition: Ebook
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US 

Synopsis:

   A bloody summer ends in a dangerous harvest in Stardust Child, book 2 of the Empire of the Stars. Having come to terms with their marriage, Remin and Ophele face new challenges as Lord and Lady of the Andelin Valley, where the monstrous devils have wreaked havoc on their land.
   A perilous journey. Haunted by the terrible losses of his people, Remin is determined to unravel the mystery of the devils, even if it means gambling himself, his friends, and his future to destroy them forever.
   An untried ruler. No one realizes how unprepared Ophele is to take his place, as she takes her first steps into court politics and the complex duties of a duchess, struggling beneath the weight of her secrets and her divine inheritance as a Daughter of the Stars.
   A treacherous world. From the distant capital, the Emperor wages an undeclared war on House Andelin, and every new arrival in Tresingale might conceal a foe. As Remin’s knights move to counter him, they discover old enemies with new ambitions that may threaten their hard-won home.
   An epic story of courage, sacrifice, and the legacies of love. To protect their home and people, Remin and Ophele must embrace the burdens of their birthright in battles of the heart that will echo through the history of the Empire.

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ARC Review: The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara

Title: The Prince Without Sorrow
Author:  Maithree Wijesekara
Series: Obsidian Throne #1
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: March 18, 2025
Edition: Digital
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's |

Synopsis:

   A prince born into violence, seeking peace.
Prince Ashoka is the youngest son of the tyrannical Emperor Adil Maurya. Considered an outcast by his father for his rejection of the emperor’s brutal onslaught against the witches of the empire, Ashoka longs for change. When the sudden and unexpected death of his father leaves the monarchy in disarray, Ashoka is sent to govern a tumultuous region annexed by Emperor Adil that is terrorized by nature spirits—a task many see as doomed to fail. Suspected by a disdainful governor and evaded by distrustful witches, Ashoka must question his rigid ideals and fight against becoming the one person he despises the most—his father.
   A witch shackled by pacifism, seeking revenge.
Shakti is a mayakari: a witch bound by a pacifist code. After witnessing the murder of her aunt and village at the hands of the emperor, Shakti hurtles down a path of revenge, casting a curse with unexpected consequences. Posing as a maidservant in the famed palace of the Mauryas and armed with newfound powers beyond her imagination, Shakti attempts to dismantle the monarchy from within by having the royal progeny ruin themselves and turn their father’s legacy into nothing but ash.
   In a world where nature spirits roam the land, and witches are hunted to extinction, Ashoka and Shakti will be forced to grapple with the consequences of power: to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.

Drawing on inspiration from the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India, debut author Maithree Wijesekara plunges readers into the first amazing book of the Obsidian Throne trilogy, a new fantasy series of hunted witches, romantic angst, and political intrigue. Perfect for fans of The Hurricane Wars and The Jasmine Throne.

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Review: Daindreth's Empress by Elisabeth Wheatley

Title: Daindreth's Empress
Author: Elisabeth Wheatley
Series: Daindreth’s Assassin #5
Genre: Fantasy Romance/
Publisher: Self-pub
Publication Date: September 09, 2024
Edition: eBook
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Author's site | 

Synopsis:

 An empire can have only one ruler.
   Amira Brindonu Fanduillion has been crowned alongside her husband, the rightful heir to the Erymayan Empire. They have survived assassination attempts and schemes within the palace to retake the throne and begin their reign. It appears to be their moment of victory, until reports of a rampaging demon horde reach them from the countryside.
   Vesha, Daindreth's mother and the former empress, has made a deal with a fallen goddess for the empire's protection. But no one wins a deal with demons and as the cythraul spiral out of Vesha's control, she grows more desperate by the day. She hopes that by freeing the fallen goddess, order will be restored—but at what cost?
   Alongside Thadred and their Istovari allies, Amira and Daindreth set out to stop Vesha and her demon horde, desperate to reach her in time. The stakes have never been higher, and they might lose far more than just the throne.
   As the very gods vie for control of the continent, Amira and Daindreth's work to bring peace might be over before it has even begun.
Daindreth's Empress is the thrilling conclusion to the Fantasy Romance Daindreth's Assassin series.  

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