Review: The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

Title: The Shadow of the Gods
Author: John Gwynne
Series: The Bloodsworn Saga #1
Genre: Adult Fantasy/Epic High Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Edition: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's |

 

 

Synopsis:

THE GREATEST SAGAS ARE WRITTEN IN BLOOD. 

   A century has passed since the gods fought and drove themselves to extinction. Now only their bones remain, promising great power to those brave enough to seek them out.
   As whispers of war echo across the land of Vigrid, fate follows in the footsteps of three warriors: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman pursuing battle fame, and a thrall seeking vengeance among the mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.
   All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods.

 

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Review: Bloodsinger by Juliette Cross

Title: Bloodsinger
Author: Juliette Cross
Series: The Fire That Binds #2
Genre: Adult/Fantasy Romance/Mythology
Publisher: Tor Bramble
Publication Date: April 09, 2026
Edition: eBook
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

Synopsis:

A spellbinding gift...
A plea answered by the gods...
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.
   Lela Bihari’s village was invaded on her wedding night, her betrothed murdered right in front of her. While her sisters were either dragged away or escaped, Lela was sold to Valerius, a consul of Rome.
   When she tried to kill Valerius her first night as his slave, her bloodsinger gift manifested... and she was punished for it. Now she’s paraded in front of the other senators for their amusement.
   But Trajan Tiberius, the newly elected tribune to the senate, is different. He has no love for the brutality around him. When he frees Lela from enslavement and hides her, Lela is set on a path of vengeance, and using her gift puts her in more danger than ever before.
   Now trapped inside the walls of Rome while deathriders circle the skies, how can she possibly trust a Roman dragon? Especially when it is clear Trajan has ulterior schemes of his own? As her powers grow stronger, danger draws closer, and Lela realizes it isn't just her life at stake, but also her heart.

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Review: Firebird by Juliette Cross

Title: Firebird
Author: Juliette Cross 
Series: The Fire That Binds #1
Genre: Fantasy Romance/Adult
Publisher: Bramble
Publication Date: April 8, 2025
Edition: Ebook
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

Synopsis:

A conqueror captivated… 
A witch prophesied to save them all… 
A world where dragons rule Rome. 
   From the moment Roman general and nephew to the emperor Julianus Dakkia laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate. But he and his dragon know one thing: she belongs to them. 
   Malina can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality. His warrior prowess cannot be denied, yet they don’t reveal the secret he hides. All Malina knows is his protection and gentle touch. And she cannot deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his. 
   As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.

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ARC Review: Captive Traitor King by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Captive Traitor King
Author: Brigid Kemmerer 
Series: Braided Fate #2
Genre: Adult/Fantasy Romance/
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: November 3, 2026
Edition: Ebook
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

Synopsis:

    CAPTIVE. Asher has always sworn loyalty to Jory, the princess he’s loved from afar—but now the King of Incendar has claimed a place in his heart too. Someone wants them both dead, and only Asher’s blade can keep them safe. Yet his past won’t let him go, and he must decide if he can break free—or remain prisoner to his old scars.
    TRAITOR. Princess Jory of Astranza agreed to marry the King of Incendar to secure peace, but betrayal runs closer than she ever imagined. With her own brother unmasked as her enemy, two kingdoms teeter on the edge. To protect her people, she must take the throne. But there are still dark secrets to unravel that will force Jory to confront where her true allegiance lies.
    KING. Maddox Kyronan has discovered trust—and something more—with his reluctant bride and her deadly protector, but the fragile alliance between their nations threatens to unravel. His people are starving. His enemies are circling in. Torn between the crown and his heart, Ky risks losing it all.
    As buried truths surface and tensions reach a breaking point, Jory, Asher, and Ky must confront the desires that could save their kingdoms—or shatter them forever.

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Review: In the Wake of the Ruined by Kalie Cassidy

Title: In the Wake of the Ruined
Author: Kalie Cassidy 
Series: The Siren Mage #2
Genre: Fantasy Romance/Mythology
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
Edition: Ebook
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

Synopsis:

The realm has a new queen… and a new monster.

   Imogen can no longer hide. She has claimed her ancestral crown, and now the corrupted bond she shares with the ancient deity Eusia is stronger than ever. Though she is determined to sever it, doing so is no easy feat. The threat of war looms. Shifting alliances, a hunger for magic, and her feelings for Theodore, King of Varya, attempt to thwart her at every turn.
   Meanwhile, Theodore is battling the strain of his own crown and commitments. When Imogen suddenly appears on his ship, every dutiful resolution he’s ever made threatens to snap. As they draw nearer to ending Eusia, lurking dangers and their perilous desire for one another prove more insurmountable than they could have imagined. 
   Will the chaos, ruin, and death that Imogen was prophesied to usher into the realm be the end of all things, or the beginning? 

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