Review: Calamity by Constance Fay

Calamity

Constance Fay

(Uncharted Hearts #1)

Publication Date: November 14, 2023

Paperback, 320 pages, Bramble

Genres: Adult, Sci-Fi, Romance

Goodreads

Bramble's inaugural debut is equal parts steamy interstellar romance and sci-fi adventure, perfect for fans of Firefly and Ilona Andrews.

 

She’s got a ramshackle spaceship, a misfit crew, and a big problem with its sexy newest member…

 

Temperance Reed, banished from the wealthy and dangerous Fifteen Families, just wants to keep her crew together after their feckless captain ran off with the intern. But she’s drowning in debt and revolutionary new engine technology is about to make her beloved ship obsolete.

 

Enter Arcadio Escajeda. Second child of the terrifying Escajeda Family, he’s the thorn in Temper’s side as they’re sent off on a scouting mission on the backwater desert planet of Herschel 2. They throw sparks every time they meet but Temper’s suspicions of his ulterior motives only serve to fuel the flames between them.

 

Despite volcanic eruptions, secret cultists, and deadly galactic fighters, the greatest threat on this mission may be to Temper’s heart.

My Review

Constance Fay's Calamity is a good book for fans of Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman's Starbound trilogy as well as some of the cheesier Sy-Fy space television shows that are addicting but ridiculous at the same time. Unfortunately, Calamity for me was a bit of a miss, but I could see some people having fun with it, especially for readers who like lighter romances with a decent amount of worldbuilding.

So the main character, Temperance Reed, has been kicked out of her rich family and is now the captain of a ship. Her and her crew take on an odd job involving another rich family, and one of the sons of said family, Arcadio, tags along for the trip. Temperance's personality wasn't super mature. Her inner dialogue and even conversations with other characters just weren't funny. The banter was really juvenile, in my opinion. And I feel like that's what the story and the romance was leaning on: being a light-hearted, funny, space romance. Honestly, it was just kind of weird and awkward. Arcadio also never really got a chance to move beyond "hot solder" designation. The supposedly "romantic" and "sexy" scenes did not hit.

The action for this story was decent. The conflict between the main characters and the cult group and another evil rich family was intriguing, but it didn't make up for the lackluster chemistry between the two leads. There was no real tension between the two; it was a bit insta-lovey/lusty. With some cheesiness thrown in. Some of the descriptions towards the end were also a little hard to follow. The writing got a little clunky.

Overall, Calamity didn't hit like I thought it would. I expected worldbuilding on the scale of The Expanse with a romance story similar to ACOTAR or FBAA, as this is published by a sci-fi/fantasy romance imprint. I think my expectations were too high. However, don't let that stop you from reading it. It could be a nice palette cleanser between heavier romantasy stories.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: The Fall of the Orc by Finley Fenn

The Fall of the Orc

Finley Fenn

(Orc Forged #2)

Publication Date: October 20, 2023

Kindle, 323 pages

Genres: Adult, MM, Romance, Fantasy

Goodreads

The orc broke him in battle. Now he’s aiming for his heart…

 

In a world of warring orcs and men, Lieutenant Aulis Gerrard can’t afford to lose one more battle. But when he faces off against the biggest, most brutal berserker in the orcs’ war-band, he knows he’s met his doom…

 

Until the deadly orc drops his axe. Draws Gerrard close. And orders him… to run.

 

In the heat of the moment, caught in the orc’s inexplicable thrall, Gerrard obeys — but the fallout costs him his rank, his position, and his pride. With little left to lose, he decides to hunt down the brazen brute in the forest, and demand a rematch.

 

But the orc doesn’t want just a rematch. He wants to court the pretty human lieutenant. To convert him. To conquer him…

 

But Gerrard would never yield to high treason with an orc… right? Even if the devious devil offers up gifts, sweaty sparring-matches, and sweet surrender in the dark. Because fraternizing with a fearsome, fallen enemy might destroy everything Gerrard has left… and leave his heart shattered, too.

My Review

The Fall of the Orc is the second book in Finley Fenn's Orc Forged series, which is a spinoff/prequel to the Orc Sworn series. You don't have to read the other series' books to enjoy this one, though. I know I've had a great time picking and choosing which Orc books to read based on my interests and mood.

For this installment, we have Gerrard, the POV character and a lieutenant in the human army fighting against the orcs. He's kind of broken whenever the book first starts, which was really fascinating to see play out. And, at first, you think he'll be a baby cinnamon roll, but he gets to have his major badass moments. And his orc love interest—because of course there has to be an orc love interest in an orc series—is Olarr, an enemy orc keeping secrets. Honestly, I liked Olarr, but he didn't have as much personality as I feel the other orcs in the series portrayed. He was still fun, but I wanted more. I always want more with Fenn's books, so that reaction is consistent.

The way the story played out, with the two characters meeting on the battlefield, was awesome! We love a good enemies-to-lovers arc here! But, things moved pretty fast after that. I wanted a bit more tension than I got. I know that's not typically this author's style, I just think, in this particular story line, it would've worked well. Not to say the whole book wasn't a fun time, it totally was! There were lots of spicy and kinky moments and sword swinging of all kinds. *Wink* I simply love me some major angst and tension buildup. I also didn't understand why Olarr couldn't have attempted some of the tasks Gerrard ended up taking on. It was a little confusing to me.

All in all, I was really excited for this book once I learned of Olarr and Gerrard's existence in the previous Orc Forged installment, but I think world events also played a factor in my enjoyment, through no fault of the book besides the things mentioned here. So, I do plan to come back to it one day and reread with a fresh state of mind. I love Finley's Orc world, and I'm excited to see whose story is next.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the author. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: The Fractured Dark by Megan O'Keefe

The Fractured Dark

Megan E. O'Keefe

(The Devouring Worlds #2)

Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Paperback, 544 pages, Orbit

Genres: Adult, Sci-Fi

Goodreads

Dying planets, dangerous conspiracies, and secret romance abound in the second installment of the Devoured Worlds trilogy by award-winning author Megan E. O'Keefe.

 

Naira and Tarquin have escaped vicious counter-revolutionaries, misprinted monsters, and the pull of a dying planet. Now, bound together to find the truth behind the blight that has been killing habitable planets, they need to hunt out the Mercator family secrets. But, when the head of Mercator disappears, taking the universe’s remaining supply of starship fuel with him, chaos breaks loose between the ruling families. Naira’s revolution must be put aside for the sake of humanity’s immediate survival.

 

My Review

I said book one, The Blighted Stars, was perfect for fans of J.S. Dewes' The Last Watch and The Expanse series, and I 100% stand by those comparisons. If you love sci-fi that has complex terminology and likeable, realistic characters, then this series is for you.

The Fractured Dark picks up some months after the events of the first installment, but it wasn't a significant or unnecessary time jump. It makes complete sense why the two main characters would be racing around space for months on end trying to fix all the things going topsy-turvy. And I just love how Naira and Tarquin are trying to figure out what the heck to do after everything changed for them back on Sixth Cradle. It's heartbreaking for Tarquin, and so confusing for Naira. I will say, though, that the author didn't lean into that element as much as I'd hoped for. I wanted some angst there. It was brutal what happened to them, and things resolved fairly quickly, in my opinion.

Like in book one, our protagonists are trying to stop the spread of a nasty infection. This parasite thing basically infects everyone and lives in their bodies all the time, making decisions for them. Icky. Now, I do think that while the worldbuilding is still solid, based on what was structured from the first book, some things were less fleshed out in this one. Maybe I just couldn't remember the details between books, but I didn't feel like I knew as much about the various stations and rules of the stations and canus as I did with the limited location of Sixth Cradle.

As for the plot of The Fractured Dark, I really enjoyed the first 40%, then the main characters were separated for a while and I just kind of slogged through the next 20-30%. I adore Tarquin and Naira's dynamic together, him the nerdy, reluctant heir and her the badass bodyguard, so any time they weren't together hurt my romance-obsessed heart. After that though, things picked up and some weird revelations were made. But, unfortunately, things got very weird, very confusing, and everything was happening so fast in the last bit that I was a tad lost. I'm still intrigued to see where book three goes, but the actual plot of the story may have lost me a bit. I'm pretty much reading for the ship at this point.

All in all, this was a decent second book in the series, but I'm hoping book three really gets stuff back on track. I need more Naira and Tarquin time, more Naira badassery, and more awkward Tarquin, please. They're just adorable. And for all you sci-fi lovers who don't like the smooshy elements as much, I still think this would be a great series for you, there isn't anything overly romantic that would inhibit your enjoyment.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot

Enchanted to Meet You

Meg Cabot

(Witches of West Harbor #1)

Publication Date: September 5, 2023

Paperback, 368 pages, Avon

Genres: Adult, Paranormal Romance

Goodreads

A witchy rom-com from New York Times bestseller Meg Cabot about a plus size witch who must team up with a handsome stranger to help protect her village from an otherworldly force—but will she be able to protect her heart?

 

It’s Magic When You Meet Your Match In her teenage years, lovelorn Jessica Gold cast a spell that went disastrously wrong, and brought her all the wrong kind of attention—as well as a lifetime ban from the World Council of Witches.

 

So no one is more surprised than Jess when, fifteen years later, tall, handsome WCW member Derrick Winters shows up in her quaint little village of West Harbor and claims that Jess is the Chosen One.

 

She’s the Chosen One Not chosen by West Harbor’s snobby elite to style them for the town’s tricentennial ball—though Jess owns the chicest clothing boutique in town. And not chosen finally to be on the WCW, either—not that Jess would have said yes, anyway, since she’s done with any organization that tries to dictate what makes a “true” witch. No, Jess has been chosen to help save West Harbor itself...

 

As Summer Ends, Her Power Grows But just when Jess is beginning to think that she and Derrick might have a certain magic of their own—and not of the supernatural variety—Jess learns he may not be who she thought he was. And suddenly Jess finds herself having to trust Derrick and work with him to combat the sinister force battling to bring down West Harbor, or use her gift as she always to keep herself, and her heart, safe. Can she work her magic in time?

My Review

Another witchy, paranormal book from Meg Cabot. This one is likely for fans of Erin Sterling's The Ex Hex or Sungu Mandanna's The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

While I am a huge fan of Meg Cabot's YA paranormal books, like the Mediator series, 1-800-Where-R-You books, and Jinx, this new adult book, Enchanted to Meet You, didn't quite hit the same for multiple reasons, though I think some people will still enjoy the story. I simply had some issues with it.

One of the smaller nitpicks I had is the main character's name. Why did Meg give Jessica the same name as Jessica from the 1-800 series? I find that a little odd. But that isn't really a big deal. The biggest and most obvious problem is one that I feel like many people will have an issue with: the love spell. 

 So the main character, Jessica, is a witch, and she uses a love spell on a boy in high school. This is shown through flashback chapters. The relationship between the boy and Jessica does get physical at some points; therefore, a big ick factor comes to play. I'm surprised Meg would write a main character who would do something like that. Suze and the other Jess would never! I had to knock two stars off for that early on, and I almost DNF-ed the entire book, but I thought I'd continue it because it's a quick read and I'm doing it for review purposes. Now, about 33% through the story, it's shown that Jessica wasn't as awful as previously thought. BUT, she still did the love spell with the intention to make a guy love her AND thought it had worked. So, still icky. Meg really should've made the full situation clearer up front. Yes, doing so would take away from a small bit of tension, but I think she's possibly going to lose some readers because of that plotline and the way it's laid out in the beginning.

Once that major revelation came to light, I actually enjoyed the book more. It started being a fun, paranormal rom-com instead of a lighter episode of Law & Order: SVU. Though Jessica isn't the most unique character, she's still charming and witty. And Derrick is the mysterious male lead with pretty crazy secrets. I honestly wasn't a fan of his big secret, however. It threw off the whole cozy, small-town vibe of the story and made it into something way bigger in scale. That was a bummer, in my opinion .

Overall, this story was kind of a mess. It was quick and easy to read once I got into it, but the main red flag of the book took a lot of enjoyment out of it and made it a chore to get through when I first started reading. The middle was a good time, but things just kind of fell off towards the very end. It was very anticlimactic. I guess I'm disappointed in this one.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

The Jasad Heir

Sara Hashem

(The Scorched Throne #1)

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

Paperback, 523 pages, Orbit

Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Goodreads

Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic outlawed; its royal family murdered down to the last child. At least, that’s what Sylvia wants people to believe.

 

The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.

 

In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution.

 

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.

 

In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.

My Review

The Jasad Heir is an immersive fantasy filled with frustrating, untrustworthy, unpredictable, morally-gray characters, which makes for a super entertaining read. Yep, that's right. None of the characters are particularly "good," so this is a perfect book for readers who don't want the typical hero trope.

The main character, Sylvia, is keeping so many secrets, including the biggest one of all—she's the Jasad kingdom's presumed-dead heir. She's also a magic user, which is a big no-no. Her entire family was killed because of their magic. And boy, does Sylvia make some crazy decisions to keep herself safe. I don't necessarily blame her for those decisions; they're just not particularly noble or heroic, if you're into that type of main lead. She has her moments, but she's really out to keep herself alive at all cost, which does make her pretty badass.

The world itself is Egyptian-based, and that was exciting, as I've never read an Egyptian-based fantasy before. Everything was pretty much brand new to me in terms of clothing and food descriptions. All of the details about the culture of the characters and the people around them really helped to solidify the fictional world in my mind. My one issue, though, is that it was hard to follow the countries' names and leaders at first, probably because my ARC didn't have a map since it wasn't the finished book. But the countries weren't introduced in a very memorable way, so 100% make sure to look at the map when you read this book!

Now, to get to the good stuff, the romance. The Nizahl heir, Arin, hunts Jasadi magic users. When he ends up finding out that Sylvia has magic, he uses her for his own gain and has her compete in a tournament for him. Do I have major mixed feelings about Arin? Absolutely. On the one hand, his backstory and compulsive organization were super endearing, and he's even protective of Sylvia in his own unique way, but on the other hand, it just wasn't enough to make up for his decisions a lot of the time. I mean, he's hunting, locking away, and sending people to their deaths because they have magic. Even innocent bakers aren't exempt! It's hard to forgive and forget that. And, like I said, I don't trust him right now, which makes for a very interesting story, as I never really know how he's going to react. Similarly, my biggest nitpick with this book was just how much the hunting topic was kind of sidestepped/ignored. Every time it was brought up, it never felt like the characters were having a real conversation about it. They never got to the heart of the matter, and they just danced around it for the first half of the book. I wanted Arin to emotionally suffer and for Sylvia to put him in his place and make him see the error of his ways. Maybe that'll happen eventually....

Overall, The Jasad Heir captivated me. It has action, betrayals, magic, and enemies to reluctant allies to lovers to... well, you'll just have to see. ;) This book has all the vibes of S.A. Chakroborty's Daevabad trilogy mixed with Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass and Shelby Mahurin's Serpent & Dove series. It's a fantasy you won't want to miss if you're a fan of any of those. And, even though the characters aren't your typical heroes, I can't wait to see what terrible decisions they'll make in book two.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O'Keefe

The Blighted Stars

Megan E. O'Keefe

(The Devouring Worlds #1)

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Hardcover, 544 pages, Orbit

Genres: Adult, Sci-Fi

Goodreads

When a spy is stranded on a dead planet with her mortal enemy, she must first figure out how to survive before she can uncover the conspiracy that landed them both there in the first place.

 

She’s a revolutionary. Humanity is running out of options. Habitable planets are being destroyed as quickly as they’re found and Naira Sharp knows the reason why. The all-powerful Mercator family has been controlling the exploration of the universe for decades, and exploiting any materials they find along the way under the guise of helping humanity’s expansion. But Naira knows the truth, and she plans to bring the whole family down from the inside.

 

He’s the heir to the dynasty. Tarquin Mercator never wanted to run a galaxy-spanning business empire. He just wanted to study rocks and read books. But Tarquin’s father has tasked him with monitoring the mining of a new planet, and he doesn’t really have a choice in the matter.

 

Disguised as Tarquin’s new bodyguard, Naira plans to destroy his ship before it lands. But neither of them expects to end up stranded on a dead planet. To survive and keep her secret, Naira will have to join forces with the man she’s sworn to hate. And together they will uncover a plot that’s bigger than both of them.

My Review

Do you like the worldbuilding of The Expanse series, or even The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes? Are you a fan of The Last of Us? Have you read YA sci-fi books like Illuminae or Aurora Rising and just want something a little more sophisticated? Then, The Blighted Stars is the perfect next read for you.

The Blighted Stars follows two primary POV characters, with a couple of other POVs thrown in every once in a while to shake things up. Tarquin Mercator is the geologist son of one of the ruling families in the whole space system, and he's out to prove his family isn't killing worlds. So he undertakes a mission on another mining planet to find answers. Naira Sharp, on the other hand, is the disgraced and imprisoned bodyguard of Tarquin's father, and Tarquin is the one who helped put her away. When she gets printed into a new body on the same ship as Tarquin, well, a lot of things go wrong. Especially when they're forced to crash-land on a dying planet. The Blighted Stars definitely has the suspense of a stranded-on-a-deserted-island story and add onto that some creepy creatures, mysterious infections, and people keeping big secrets, and you get a wild ride.

The worldbuilding in The Blighted Stars is heavy. Like the author really did her research, or at least, she made up some really cool, smart-sounding stuff. And while this is a science-heavy book, for those who are less scientifically-minded like me, it was still easy to drift over those explanatory sections and not miss out on the next plot development, except in a couple of cases. So don't worry about memorizing all the things. But, if you're a fan of geology, biology, or epidemiology, then this will be right up your alley.

The two main characters are also super fun. It's a bit of a gender flip. Instead of the rough-and-tough survivalist guy, we get Naira Sharp, the badass female bodyguard, while Tarquin is the more peaceable character with knowledge about rocks, not fighting or leading. He also has a cute (or so I imagine) robot companion. I genuinely liked Tarquin and Naira's dynamic. Their conversations and banter were great. I was pretty devastated whenever they were apart, as those chapters dragged a little bit. Time flew by so fast when the two of them were bickering at each other. But, that could just be the romance reader in me that loves the relationship tension. However, this 100% isn't a romance book. It's just the first book in a sci-fi series that has romantic elements.

All in all, I enjoyed this first book, and I want to read book two whenever it releases. It does take some time to get through this 500-page tome, but it's worth it. Just don't pick it up when you have lots of things going on. You'll want to dedicate some brain power to this one.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen

A Door in the Dark

Scott Reintgen

(Waxways #1)

Publication Date: March 28, 2023

Hardcover, 368 pages, McElderry Books

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Goodreads

 

One of Us is Lying meets A Deadly Education in this fantasy thriller that follows six teenage wizards as they fight to make it home alive after a malfunctioning spell leaves them stranded in the wilderness.

 

Ren Monroe has spent four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited into one of the major houses. Enter Theo Brood. If being rich were a sin, he’d already be halfway to hell. After a failed and disastrous party trick, fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays—Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids. Which doesn’t sit well with any of them.

 

A fight breaks out. In the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students are snatched from the safety of the school’s campus and set down in the middle of nowhere. And one of them is dead on arrival.

 

If anyone can get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves it’s Ren. She’s been in survival mode her entire life. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the rest of the group is harboring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods…

My Review

Are you looking for a YA book that gives dark academia vibes with some horror and magic thrown in? Then I think this one may be right up your alley. It definitely has the worldbuilding atmosphere of the Shadowhunter Chronicles with a similar feel to Naomi Novik's Scholomance books. There are magical teens, deadly creatures, and even deadlier secrets.

Ren, our main character, is the know-it-all of the group, and I'm not using that term derogatorily. She really is the one who knows it all. She's like Hermione Granger with a dark side. Then there is Timmons, her best friend; Cora, the medic; Avy, the tough guy; Clyde, the drug-dealer/bad boy; and Theo, the son of Ren's enemy. It's quite a cast of characters thrown together in a situation that quickly goes from bad to worse when they all get thrown miles away from their home and into a wilderness filled with a lot of magical boogeymen

I will say, the worldbuilding in this story is what is intriguing. Once the story starts to pick up about fifty pages in, there were crazy things going down every other chapter. There were wyverns, kobolds, dragons, and very evil humans. Even when the spellwork was explained and things got a little too technical, none of it took away from the actual events in the story. I could believe that characters had magical objects hiding on their person and that creepy monsters were haunting the group. Honestly, it was a good thriller/adventure story. I was constantly wondering how everyone would get out of the situation in one piece.

 The weakness of this book lies with the characters, however. They just never quite clicked and they came across as rather dry. In my opinion, they needed more personality and to interact with their peers more on the page. Maybe if the book had been longer and added some conversations between the characters, it could have gained some of that development within the story. As is, it's just really hard to get attached. However, it was shocking when bad things would happen to them. But, unfortunately, after the initial "Oh no!" reaction, I didn't feel anything more. Maybe I'm heartless, but I wasn't feeling it. This is definitely not a character-driven book, it's a plot-driven one. So if you like scary-esque plots where kids are trapped in the woods with monsters, and you also like magic and dragons, then this story could 100% be for you.

Overall, I think this book could be popular for teens looking for the next series to pick up after Harry Potter or Shadowhunters. It could easily fill those gaps. However, if you're looking for something where you fall in love with the characters, I don't think this book is that. It has more of a '90s thriller vibe set in a fantasy world. It was an entertaining read, just not something I fell in love with. Though, I'm not a huge horror fan, so that could explain why.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Early ARC Review: Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Fall of Ruin and Wrath

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: September 12, 2023

Hardcover, 432 pages, Bramble

Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance. LGBTQ+

Goodreads

 

Long ago, the world was destroyed by gods. Only nine cities were spared. Separated by vast wilderness teeming with monsters and unimaginable dangers, each city is now ruled by a guardian―royalty who feed on mortal pleasure.

 

Born with an intuition that never fails, Calista knows her talents are of great value to the power-hungry of the world, so she lives hidden as a courtesan of the Baron of Archwood. In exchange for his protection, she grants him information.

 

When her intuition leads her to save a traveling prince in dire trouble, the voice inside her blazes with warning―and promise. Today he’ll bring her joy. One day he'll be her doom.

 

When the Baron takes an interest in the traveling prince and the prince takes an interest in Calista, she becomes the prince’s temporary companion. But the city simmers with rebellion, and with knights and monsters at her city gates and a hungry prince in her bed, intuition may not be enough to keep her safe.

 

Calista must choose: follow her intuition to safety or follow her heart to her downfall.

My Review

Are you ready to dive into a new JLA adult romantasy series? Honestly, I don't think you're ready. I for sure wasn't. Fall of Ruin and Wrath has very steamy scenes, a powerful love interest, and a cast of characters who are all keeping a lot of secrets.

First off, I devoured this book in a single day, if that tells you anything. JLA's stories are like candy. You can just keep eating and eating until you realize the bag is empty and the overwhelming sadness hits when you realize you still want more. I'm super glad JLA is a writing fiend, because I couldn't wait 1.5-2 years for a sequel. Nope. Not after that crazy cliffhanger.

The main character of the story, Calista, a.k.a. Lis, is somewhat of a seer/mind reader, though she describes her powers as intuition. Lis used to be an orphan living on the street, but now she's the advisor to a local baron. Lis is also, seemingly, bi-sexual. There's no outright label put on sexuality in this book, but let's just say it's pretty obvious. Because boy oh boy, JLA! I did not think you'd go there. So much naughtiness all around. *Fans self.* The spice is real, y'all. Our other main character, and resident JLA sexy main squeeze, is Thorne. Lis meets Thorne in a situation that is the total opposite of meet cute. Let's call it a "meet ugly" for funsies. This meet ugly had me flipping pages so fast. It was a fantastic time. The meet ugly and the ending are the two sections I will definitely be rereading when it comes time for book two to release. I wholeheartedly give all the stars to those scenes!

 Now, the worldbuilding in this series is different from anything JLA has done before. It's not a straight-up fantasy or a modern-day Earth with secret paranormal beings lurking around. It almost seems like a historical fantasy at first, but nope. That's not what it is. I won't spoil anything, but it'll be interesting to see how all of the Hyhborn (angel/incubus beings) plays out for the setup of this world. There's definitely no predicting where JLA will take things. While the setting of Fall of Ruin and Wrath is unique writing-wise, it does have similarities to JLA's Dark Elements/Harbinger world in terms of the angel/demons story arc. Though, like I mentioned, it's more of an incubus/angel combo than a prince-of-hell and archangel Michael thing; however, Thorne is technically royalty, so he does have that in common with a couple of JLA's leading men. A big plus for any JLA fan and/or romantasy reader.

My only nitpick with this book is that it's a very slow build. Similar to the first Blood and Ash book, but slower. You can tell that some major craziness is going to go down in book two, but in Fall of Ruin and Wrath, not a lot happens outside of the beginning, when our two main characters first meet, and the ending, when all sh*t hits the fan—a signature JLA move. There's just a lot of politicking, court conversations, and, yes, spicy scenes, that slow down some of the buildup throughout the middle. But like I said, I read the whole book in basically a single sitting, which means that the slow build didn't really slow me down very much at all.

Overall, this book does have some major From Blood and Ash vibes based on that insane cliffhanger ending, but it stands on its own with a totally different, less stabby protagonist and a main squeeze with a more stoic personality, in contrast to Hawke's roguish charm. I think, if you enjoy series like Laura Thalassa's The Bargainer, Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter, or even Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City, you'll want to pick this one up. It's got the alphahole guy, the bada$$ female MC (though it's more of a mental bada$$ery than a physical one), the immortal beings plotline, and the hidden powers trope to keep romantasy readers thoroughly entertained, especially since Lis and Thorne's story seems like the beginning to what is going to be a wild and steamy ride.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.