Romantasy Hits | The Empyrean Series di Rebecca Yarros

martedì 21 gennaio 2025

Buongiorno booklovers, è arrivato il giorno. Oggi, 21 gennaio, esce nelle nostre librerie Onyx Storm, il nuovo libro della serie "The Empyrean", diventata conosciutissima grazie a Fourth Wing, il primo libro della serie.


SPOILER: Ho già trovato in anticipo Onyx Storm. L'ho letto. Non mi è piaciuto. Sono in lutto. Review To Come



SCHEMA:

1. Fourth Wing

2. Iron Flame

3. Onyx Storm

4. TBA

5. TBA




SCHEDA TECNICA:

Nome: Fourth Wing

Autrice: Rebecca Yarros

Data: 07 novembre 2023 (ITA)

Genere: Romantasy

Editore: Sperling & Kupfer


TRAMA:

L'accademia militare di Basgiath è la famosissima scuola per diventare cavalieri di draghi più spietata ed elitaria che ci sia. Una volta entrati non si hanno altro che due possibilità: laurearsi o morire. Violet Sorrengail già si immaginava a passare i prossimi anni circondata dai suoi amati libri e immersa nel silenzio della biblioteca. Nulla di più lontano da ciò che le sta per accadere. Quella generalessa di sua madre le ha ordinato di unirsi alle centinaia di candidati disposti a qualunque sacrificio pur di diventare parte dell'élite di Navarra: i cavalieri di draghi. Ma Violet ha solo vent'anni e un corpo ancora poco allenato alla battaglia: la morte per lei potrebbe arrivare in un lampo. I draghi, infatti, non si legano agli umani «fragili», ma li inceneriscono. E la maggior parte degli studenti non si farebbe scrupoli nell'eliminare Violet pur di migliorare le proprie possibilità di successo. Senza contare che tutti gli altri la farebbero fuori volentieri pur di punire la temibile e potente madre, compreso Xaden Riorson, il cavaliere più forte e spietato del Quadrante. E così Violet ogni sera va a dormire con la sfida di riuscire a vedere l'alba del giorno dopo...


IRON FLAME


SCHEDA TECNICA:

Nome: Iron Flame

Autrice: Rebecca Yarros

Data: 30 gennaio 2024 (ITA)

Genere: Romantasy

Editore: Sperling & Kupfer


TRAMA: 

Tutti si aspettavano che Violet Sorrengail morisse durante il suo primo anno all'accademia militare di Basgiath, compresa lei stessa. Ma la Trebbiatura è stata solo la prima, difficilissima prova per eliminare i candidati più insicuri, indegni e sfortunati. Ora inizia l'addestramento vero e proprio, e Violet già si chiede come farà a superarlo. Perché non sarà soltanto terribilmente estenuante, brutale e progettato per testare la capacità dei cavalieri di resistere al dolore oltre ogni limite. Il vero pericolo è il nuovo vicecomandante, che ha deciso di dimostrare a ogni costo quanto la ragazza sia inadatta al posto che si è guadagnata a fatica, a meno che non tradisca l'uomo che ama. Forse il corpo di Violet è più debole di quello degli altri, ma di certo non le mancano né l'ingegno, né una volontà di ferro. E soprattutto, il vicecomandante non tiene conto della lezione più importante di i cavalieri di draghi si fanno le regole da soli. Ma la determinazione a sopravvivere non sarà sufficiente quest'anno. Perché Violet conosce il vero segreto nascosto da secoli all'accademia militare di Basgiath e niente, nemmeno il fuoco dei draghi, potrebbe essere sufficiente a salvarli.

...


ONYX STORM



SCHEDA TECNICA:

Nome: Onyx Storm

Autrice: Rebecca Yarros

Data: 21 gennaio 2025 (UK/ITA)

Genere: Romantasy

Editore: Sperling & Kupfer


TRAMA:

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.




Roundin' Up | Taylor Jenkins Reid's "Verse"

martedì 14 gennaio 2025

Buongiorno booklovers, come state? Oggi volevo inagurare una nuova rubrica, la cosiddetta Roundin' Up, dove mi ritrovo a creare un piccolo dizionario di autori coi propri libri. Per inagurarla avevo pensato a un'autrice molto famosa su BookTok USa ma che in Italia ha molta meno risonanza di cui pensavo.


Sto parlando di Taylor Jenkins Reid, e in particolare della sua "serie" iniziata con Daisy Jones & The Six, autoconclusivi ma che sono legati da cameo di personaggi.



DAISY JONES & THE SIX


SCHEDA TECNICA:

Nome: Daisy Jones & The Six

Autore: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genere: Storico

Data: 5 marzo 2019

Editore: Sperling & Kupfer


TRAMA:

Daisy Jones & The Six: il gruppo rock più mitico di tutti i tempi. I loro concerti riempivano gli stadi in tutto il mondo, le loro canzoni hanno acceso le notti di un'intera generazione. La loro storia è il racconto di un'ascesa folgorante, dalle prime esibizioni nei peggiori locali di Los Angeles al successo planetario. È l'incarnazione stessa di un'epoca e di uno stile di vita - sesso, droga e rock'n'roll. È la sintesi di un'alchimia perfetta, non solo sul palco: l'amore tra Daisy Jones - la splendida vocalist, spirito libero e inafferrabile - e Billy Dunne, il frontman carismatico e dannato. Eppure, il 12 luglio 1979, dopo un concerto memorabile, il gruppo è scoppiato. Nessuno ha mai saputo perché... Fino a oggi. Musicisti della band, manager, fan, parenti e amanti: sono tutti testimoni di questa storia, ma ognuno ha la sua versione dei fatti. E oggi, a quarant'anni di distanza, sono finalmente pronti a raccontarla. Un romanzo a più voci che crea una leggenda. Una geniale prova d'autore. Una lettura che ci rende inevitabilmente fan di una band di cui poi vorremo ascoltare ogni singola canzone.


I SETTE MARITI DI EVELYN HUGO




SCHEDA TECNICA:

Nome: I Sette mariti di Evelyn Hugo

Autore: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Data: 7 settembre 2021

Genere: Storico

Editore. Oscar Mondadori


TRAMA

Dopo anni vissuti lontano dai riflettori, la ex "divina" di Hollywood Evelyn Hugo, autentica icona della storia del cinema, è finalmente pronta a svelare la sua verità. E anche quella sui suoi sette mariti, naturalmente. Per farlo, sceglie Monique Grant, una reporter semisconosciuta. La più stupefatta è proprio Monique: perché proprio lei? E perché proprio adesso? Si dà il caso che per la giornalista non sia proprio un gran momento: dopo pochi mesi dalle nozze il marito l'ha lasciata, e a trentacinque anni la sua vita professionale sembra già arrivata a un punto morto. L'incarico di scrivere la biografia di Evelyn Hugo potrebbe essere l'occasione che aspettava per dare una svolta alla sua carriera. E così, nello splendido appartamento di Manhattan dell'attrice, Monique ascolta affascinata le parole di Evelyn: dagli esordi nella Los Angeles degli anni Cinquanta fino alla decisione di ritirarsi dalle scene trent'anni dopo, passando per i numerosi matrimoni, l'attrice rivela una storia di feroce ambizione, amicizia inattesa, e un grande amore proibito. Monique si sente sempre più vicina alla leggendaria star: a mano a mano che il racconto di Evelyn si avvicina alla conclusione, appare chiaro che le loro vite sono legate in modo drammatico e ineludibile.


MALIBU RISING



SCHEDA TECNICA:

Nome: Malibu Rising

Autore: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genere: Romance; Historical

Editore: Ballantine



TRAMA: 

Malibu: August, 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over-especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud-because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own-including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.


CARRIE SOTO IS BACK


SCHEDA TECNICA:

Nome: Carrie Soto Is Back

Autore: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genere: Sport Fiction; Historical

Editore: Ballantine


TRAMA:


By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked the 'Battle-Axe' anyway. Even if her body doesn't move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.



UPCOMING:


ATMOSPHERE, A LOVE STORY (in uscita giugno 2025)


SCHEDA TECNICA:

Nome: Atmosphere. A Love Story

Autore: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genere: Sport Fiction; Historical

Editore: Ballantine


TRAMA:

An epic novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program and the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

In the summer of 1980, astrophysics professor Joan Goodwin begins training to be an astronaut at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilots Hank Redmond and John Griffin; mission specialist Lydia Danes; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer. As the new astronauts prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined and begins to question everything she believes about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.



Review Time | Seeds by Angie Paxton

martedì 7 gennaio 2025

    




INFO:

Title: Seeds

Author: Angie Paxton

Release Date: January 7th 2025

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling

Editore: Alcove Press


SUMMARY:

Kore has lived her entire life under her resentful mother Demeter’s shadow, trying her hardest to please a woman grown bitter by betrayal. With her self-esteem in tatters and deliberately isolated by her mother, it’s no surprise that Kore is flummoxed when she meets a collection of otherworldly women – the Goddesses of Olympus – who tell her that her mother is in truth a Goddess herself. Kore tells them her preferred name, Persephone, and hopes they will not only have answers for her new questions, but the friendship and love she craves. Instead, an imposing and stoic figure emerges from a nearby cave on a magical chariot and snatches Persephone away.

Upon realizing she has been taken to the Underworld by Hades, who desires she become his queen, Persephone vows to escape.

Demeter, enraged upon finding her daughter taken, goes to extreme lengths to reclaim her – putting the lives of all humanity, and even the gods, at risk.

Angie Paxton breathes new life into a myth that has been reshaped, adapted, and loved since Homer's "Hymn to Demeter." Seeds is a deeply romantic story of two lonely souls finding one another, the pressure put on children to forgive their parents’ abuse, and the power of resentment.


REVIEW:

Another take on the eternally famous Hades x Persephone myth, Angie Paxton narrates us a tale that starts with rejection, emptiness and the feeling of being an outcast and continues in a journey of self-discovery, empowerment and overcoming your prejudices.

I was really a fan of Kore's PoV chapters while in the Inferi, but at the same time I felt Demeter's PoV redundant and not so interesting as the young goddess' thoughts.

The romance felt a little bit strange, sometimes rushed, sometimes slow, and at the start I couldn't connect with the main characters, while Persephone's relationship with other Inferi being felt more realistic and sweet from the beginning.

In the end, it was a quick, interesting reading. If you are a fan of Hades x Persephone lore, I'll really recommend checking out Seeds.


...

Rating: ★★★

...


I want to thank Rising Action Publishing for the digital ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) via Netgalley. I'm not affiliated to the author, to the publishing house or any other person/agency. My review is honest and based only on my thoughts/feeling while reading the book.


Anais by The Bookish Scorpio

2025 | My Most Anticipated Novels

venerdì 3 gennaio 2025

Buongiorno booklovers, è folle da dire ma finalmente riesco a tornare su questi schermi dopo una lunga assenza!

Il periodo tra studio e lavoro è stato estremamente caotico, e mi ritrovo adesso a stilare la lista delle mie uscite più anticipate del 2025! Siete curiosi di sapere quali sono?



1. ONYX STORM, DI REBECCA YARROS


TRAMA:

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.


2. DEEP END, DI ALI HAZELWOOD

TRAMA:

A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...


3. FABLE FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, DI AVA REID


TRAMA:

The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this standalone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.

By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.

Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.

Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.

When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.

For Melinoë, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.

As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.

And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.


4. SUNRISE ON THE REAPING, DI SUZANNE COLLINS


TRAMA:

When you've been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town.

As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.


5. ENCHANTRA, DI KAYLIE SMITH


TRAMA:

Ready or Not meets Throne of the Fallen in a spicy, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, where an Italian getaway turns deadly after a young woman is trapped in her host family's cursed game.

Ready or not, the game has begun.

Genevieve Grimm has felt adrift ever since her sister became the head of the family. So when a mysterious friend of their mother's invites her to Italy, she accepts. She arrives at his grand palace, expecting passion and magic, decadence and luxury... perhaps even a midnight ball.

She doesn't expect the owner's ruthlessly handsome son to slam the door in her face. Rowin Silver is tall, dark, and exceptionally rude, and invitation or not, he demands Genevieve leave and never come back. But Genevieve follows nobody's orders, especially those of arrogant rich boys. She slips inside—and immediately discovers her mistake.

Rowin and his family are caught in an insidious game of hide and seek, where only one can win. The rest will be trapped in Hell... until the competition begins again.

Genevieve must either join the hunt or forfeit any hope of escaping. But to her dismay, her best chance of survival lies with Rowin. Since lovers may play as a pair, Rowin and Genevieve agree to form an alliance under the guise of a fake courtship. However, as they race through the game's elaborate labyrinth, trapped among gleaming gold and shining marble, their loathing gives way to irresistible attraction. Only Rowin is keeping secrets, especially when it comes to his ruthless family, and Genevieve can't help but wonder if she's trapped in two treacherous games: Enchantra and the one Rowin is playing with her heart.


6. A TREACHERY OF SWANS, DI AB PORANEK


TRAMA:

Magic has long been outlawed in Auréal . Odile has always known she’d be the one to restore it.

Raised by a sorcerer, Odile has spent years preparing for the heist of a lifetime. It’s perfectly simple. Impersonate a princess, infiltrate the palace, steal the king's enchanted crown and restore magic to the kingdom.

But when the King is unexpectedly murdered, she’s forced to recruit the help of Marie d'Odette, the real princess, and the two begin to unravel a web of lies and deceit that leaves Odile uncertain of who to trust.

Soon though Odile must decide – her mission or the girl she’s falling for?

The fate of the Kingdom depends on her making the right choice. . .


7. THE IRRESISTIBLE URGE TO FALL FOR YOUR ENEMY, DI BRIGITTE KNIGHTLEY


TRAMA:

Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, is in dire need of healing. Naturally – such is the grim comedy of fate – the only healer who can help is Aurienne Fairhrim, preeminent scientist, bastion of moral good, and member of an enemy Order.

Aurienne is desperate for funding to heal the sick - so desperate that, when Osric bribes her to help him, she accepts, even if she detests him and everything he stands for.

A forced collaboration ensues: the brilliant Woman in STEM is coerced into working with the PhD in Murders, much to Aurienne's disgust. As Osric and Aurienne work together to heal his illness and investigate the mysterious reoccurrence of a deadly pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction, which only fuels the heat between them.


8. ATMOSPHERE, DI TAYLOR JENKINS REID


TRAMA:

An epic novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program and the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

In the summer of 1980, astrophysics professor Joan Goodwin begins training to be an astronaut at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilots Hank Redmond and John Griffin; mission specialist Lydia Danes; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer. As the new astronauts prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined and begins to question everything she believes about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.


9. ROSE IN CHAINS, DI JULIE SOTO


TRAMA:

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Briony Rosewood knows that the world as she knows it is changed forever. The dark forces of Bomard have won and her people, the Eversuns, face imminent servitude, imprisonment or death. Her brother, fated to be heir twice over and unite the warring kingdoms, is dead.

Stripped of her Mind Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly auctioned off to the highest bidders in an auction – and as the heir-apparent’s sister, she fetches the highest price.

After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven a high ranking Bomardsun – and her long-time and ill-fated infatuation. Scion of a family known for their cruel control of Heart Magic, the Hearsts are ruthlessly ambitious, and Briony knows they will use her however they can to further their own interests.

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help – and hope – may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…


10. ALCHEMISED, DI SEN LIN YU


TRAMA:

“What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.”

Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed.

In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile, undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive.

According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit?

To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.



Review Time | Inferno's Heir by Tiffany Wang

mercoledì 20 novembre 2024

    






INFO:

Title: Inferno's Heir

Author: Tiffany Wang

Release Date: October 15th 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Editore: Alcove Press


SUMMARY:

Fearing for her life, an outcast princess joins the rebellion against her own kingdom and family. . . but when playing with fire, someone always gets burned. 

Teia Carthan abandoned her morals long ago, and now there’s nothing she won’t do to stay alive. So far she has survived her parents’ deaths, the ire of the Council, and innumerable attempts on her life, orchestrated by Jura, her half brother and soon-to-be king of Erisia. Teia’s rare control over two elements marks her as both an outsider and a formidable opponent—but once Jura is crowned king, there will be no way to survive him. Not for Teia, not for anyone. 

When Jura moves to crush the rebellion that seeks to overthrow the monarchy, Teia sees one last opportunity to ensure her own safety. She can infiltrate the rebels, locate their base . . . and betray them to Jura, trading their lives for her own. 

Yet when Teia meets the rebels, she gets far more than she bargained for. And when she gains not only their trust but their friendship, she begins to have doubts. Perhaps the rebels are right. Perhaps the Golden Palace should be torn down and the monarchy destroyed. 

But then again—what if there is another possibility? What if Teia were on the throne instead? 


REVIEW:

Teia Carthan's life is a mess not only for being a princess, the only having royal blood other than her psychopatic and sadistic older half-brother Jura.

What about being daughter to two enemy countries, the late Erisian king and the Shaylani witch?

What about being able to bend both fire and water?

Jura's coronation is approaching, and news of a possible firebender in the Dawnbreakers rebels are frightening the Erisian court, prompting Jura to repress even more people. 

Her name is Kyra Medoh, and Teia Carthan is getting involved in it.

She will try everything to prevent Jura from seizing the throne and finally destroying her country.

Even siding with the rebels: pure Kyra, witty Alara and dangerously charming Tobias are growing on her every minute, even if Dawnbreakers leader Cornelius Lehm seems as reliable as a striking viper involved in plots that seem darker by every minute.

If they succeed in their mission, Teia's mind is thinking on a possible outcome: her on the throne.

She needs to choose now: their trust... or their security.


...


Inferno's Heir is an interesting debut, with a weaker start but a really strong ending (with a terrible cliffhanger).

We are in a fantasy world with many countries: the history is set in Erisia, with the royal family being the only ones to bend fire (Teia is half Shaylani, the country with whom Erisia was at war), in some ways similar to Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I found the characters to be really interesting, probably the gemstones of the books: I'd have wanted to see more the Dawnbreakers and their relationships with Teia (yes, I'm talking about two couples).

The plot kept me hooked until the last page (I screamed, yes). I sensed there was something wrong, but Wang threw a genius move in the end!


I honestly can't wait to read the sequel.


...


Rating: ★★★★


...


I want to thank Bindery Books for the digital ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) via Netgalley. I'm not affiliated to the author, to the publishing house or any other person/agency. My review is honest and based only on my thoughts/feeling while reading the book.


Anais by The Bookish Scorpio

Review Time | Not In My Book by Katie Holt

giovedì 14 novembre 2024

   






INFO:

Title: Not In My Book

Author: Katie Holt

Release Date: December 10th 2024

Genre: RomCom

Editore: Alcove Press


SUMMARY:

The Hating Game meets Beach Read in this sexy and hilarious contemporary romance from a debut Peruvian-Tennessean voice.

Rosie, an idealistic and passionate Peruvian-American who has grown up without strong ties to her culture, leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her arch-nemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington—an obnoxious, surly, and gorgeous literary fiction writer who doesn’t have much patience for the romance genre, or for Rosie.

Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must co-write a novel that blends their genres.

The reluctant writing duo can’t help but put pieces of themselves into their accidentally steamy novel, and as they slowly get to know each other, they try to put their differences aside. Meanwhile, their manuscript-in-progress provides an outlet for them to confess their feelings—and explore their attraction toward each other.

When Rosie and Aiden find themselves competing against each other for a potentially career-changing opportunity, the flames of old rivalry reignite, and their once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved—unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms.


REVIEW:

 "Not In My Book" is Peruvian-American Katie Holt's debut novel. 


A kind of blend between Beach Read and the latest contemporary novels full of enemies-to-lovers banter, it follows Rosie, a Latina girl (half Peruvian half American, like KH) in her journey from Tennessee to NYC to make true her greatest goal: being an author, a romance writer.

You know, only one bed, swoon-worthy book boyfriends. Stuff like that.

Her dreams literally shatter when she meets Aiden Huntington: she used to have a teeny-tiny crush on him at the start of Creative Writing workshop before realizing he's... a total jerk.

He despises romance novels & he's her worst critic, leading to fights in class like that which sets motion to the plot. 

Ida, the professor/course mentor, threatens to expell both of them... but only if they don't try to get along with each other by... writing a novel! Together!

The start is rocky, but gradually they warm to each other at the point they're dangerously falling into some depths that are quite... sentimental.


...


Not In My Book is everything I like in a romance. First of all, it's books in a book.

It has got a kind of college-school setting, a quirky and tough heroine (maybe too much in some cases), a "cold-but-not-so-cold" hero with a remarkable past (who he tries to forget), lots of funny banter, some spicy moments.

Rosie, the FMC, has also got Latina heritage, and honestly I loved everything about Peruvian traditions: you know, Christmas fatcs, sweets, a few dialogues in Spanish (for me it wasn't an issue since I speak Spanish between the languages I know). What I didn't like was her stubborness and the lack of communication (especially in the ending) between her and Aiden.

Aiden, Aiden, Aiden. What can I say other than you're like a boy I know? Tall, handsome... & who makes memes on me for reading spicy romances (like the puns you do on Rosie?). And that I love you both?

Funny enough, Aiden Huntington is one of my romcoms book boyfriends now. I would have given a try with Aiden if he was real, let's be honest! 

Rosie Maxwell you're lucky!

The vibes in autumn-winter NYC were chef's kiss. And also the writing was very approachable even for those who are not from English-speaking countries but lack knowledge of advanced English or are not used to read in a foreign language.

In the end, except for some little details (I don't like the miscommunication trope), it was a worthy and excellent read!

I'm looking forward to read another book by KH.


Rating: ★★★★.5


...


I want to thank Alcove Press for the digital ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) via Netgalley. I'm not affiliated to the author, to the publishing house or any other person/agency. My review is honest and based only on my thoughts/feeling while reading the book.


Anais by The Bookish Scorpio

Review Time | Pride & Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley

giovedì 7 novembre 2024

  




INFO:

Title: Pride & Prejudice in Space

Author: Alexis Lampley

Release Date: October 15th 2024

Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi

Editore: Union Square


SUMMARY:

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is arguably the forerunner of all romantic comedies and certainly one of her most popular and irreverent works. And now, graphic designer and Nerdy Ink co-owner—and obsessive fan of Pride and Prejudice—Alexis Lampley gives this timeless, classic, Regency-era romance a new twist, setting it among the stars in a futuristic universe where spaceships and interplanetary travel is the daily norm. Featuring 50+ color illustrations of the Londinium Lunar System, drawings of gowns by Lydia Bennet, and spaceship designs by Elizabeth Bennet, this is a futuristic take on a classic by a dedicated Jane Austen fan, for Austen newbies and super-fans alike.


REVIEW:

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a booklover in possession of a brain must have read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen or also have known any other work related, either cinematographic or literal.

I am one of those girls who grew up with the cult of Elizabeth Bennet as one of the most fascinating characters in English Literature and fell in love with Mr. Darcy's professions of love for Lizzie.

I can admit it's one of the main reasons I've applied for reading this ARC, combined with my own obsession with astronomy & astrophysics.

A Retelling set in space, with spaceships & court manners? Sign me in!

...

Probably the strongest (and weakest) point is that it's Pride & Prejudice. I've read both the original novel and the translation in my native language (Italian), and I can say with precision that most parts are indeed a copycat from the 1813 novel.

Yes, the parts (and traits of the characters) were adjusted to the setting (I really loved a Lizzie space pilot, btw), but this was P&P. Point.

This will surely be appreciated by the "purists", but also raises, in my opinion, a doubt: was this really necessary?

In truth, Lampley gives spotlight to the other characters: we have coms between the Bennet sisters, journal entries from many characters, including Charlotte Lucas and even the one and only Fitzwlliam Darcy. 

The author's artistic side is showed in colourful drawings of the Londinium (London) Solar System and its surroundings moons (Kaels - Kent, or Dyberion - Derbyshire), creating a little gem, which I could say it's on my physical TBR.

In the end, I can only lower my rating (a .5 rounded higher) being this truly P&P with fewer innovation that I'd expected.

Rating: ★★★.5 (rounded to ★★★★) but infinitive for the AustenVerse.


...


I want to thank UnionSquare & Co for the digital ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) via Netgalley. I'm not affiliated to the author, to the publishing house or any other person/agency. My review is honest and based only on my thoughts/feeling while reading the book.


Anais by The Bookish Scorpio


 
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