beccaannekent's reviews
629 reviews

Forged by Malice (Beasts of the Briar, Book 3) by Elizabeth Helen

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This series is getting darker and so much more brutal. 

I love it. 

NEXT 
Woven by Gold by Elizabeth Helen

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The last 50% of this was much much stronger and more enjoyable than the first. I felt like there was a fair bit of repetition in the first half, particularly around Roses blossoming relationships with the princes and their rejection of those situations. 

I loved Farron’s character development, from the first book he was the weakest of them all, and I really enjoyed how he came into his own within this book. I also really enjoyed the interactions with Caspian and he absolutely needs to be included more ASAP. 

Kel is still a bit of a twat, to put it honestly. But I do believe he has strong reasons for his behaviour (albeit most likely due to incorrect information or beliefs). 

Dayton is a sweetheart and I love him with my whole heart. 

Onto book 3! 
To Flame a Wild Flower by Sarah A. Parker

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Finally, FINALLY, we’re getting some answers. And along the way we also see what the FMC is made of. She’s learning what she’s capable of, how clever she is and that she is not here to be manipulated. Yes, she still makes mistakes but she’s learning and she’s learning quickly. 

There’s also a lot of emotional pain and then healing. Beautifully written, as all the books in this series have been. The vibes are immaculate. I really feel like I am there, exploring and experiencing alongside the characters. 
Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Not keen on Raahosh and his controlling behaviour, but still fun to read! 
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Sometimes you just need a nice, cutesy romance to break up the intense fantasy. Just so happens that this one has aliens. 
Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m so annoyed at myself that it’s taken this long to read this series. It’s exactly everything I love in Romantasy and ticks all my boxes.

My only criticism would be that Vittoria is very indecisive. Is she against her sister, or on her sisters side? I don’t think she knows or we know. Maybe this’ll get answered in the companion follow up series “Thrones of”. 


Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Reread - prepping to read Thrones in March!

What a surprise this was, faster paced story and I loved the development of the characters. I’m genuinely so surprised at how much I’ve changed my opinion of these books since I last read them - they’re so much more digestible to me now and I am speeding through them. 
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Reread as I prep myself to read the Thrones books next month! 

It’s been over 3 years since I first read this, and wow I remembered nothing.

That is not a reflection on this book at all, it’s just between reading this in January 2022 to now, I’ve read nearly 500 books and I have obviously oversaturated my brain with fantasy!

However, I enjoyed this way more than my initial review of 3 stars. It’s fast paced, I love the way the characters are written and their relationships with one another. Small warning, do not read this when hungry, because the food sounds so delicious that you’ll want to order Italian repeatedly. 

Immediately diving into book 2! 
Until the World Falls Down by Jordan Lynde

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A Beauty & the Beast x The Labyrinth fantasy retelling?? Um YES please! 

Executed beautifully, my only small critique is that the modern world parts are not as strongly written as the fantasy aspects. It potentially just needs a little tweaking, but nonetheless it didn’t impact my enjoyment of this book whatsoever. 

Enver is a total dreamboat book boyfriend and those shadows are something else, wheewww! I’m delighted that this is the first in a series, because I couldn’t get enough of the two main characters and wasn’t ready to let them go by the end. 

Sometimes my impulsive mood reading choices pay off, and this is certainly one of those times! 
The WitchSlayer by Opal Reyne

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I ADORE Opal Reyne’s Duskwalker series, so when I saw this one…with DRAGONS I was all in.

However, there was something here that didn’t quite twig with me. The writing felt off, it wasn’t as polished as Duskwalkers and it was quite clunky to get through.

Despite this, I still had a good time. The plot had twists I never saw coming. And there’s definitely some *situations* the FMC finds herself in that will make you question your preferences in romance. 

A nice, fast paced romance which definitely helped as a palette cleanser between some hefty, darker reads I have going on now.