Review: The Shadows That Listen by Louisa Carmody

The Shadows That Listen

Louisa Carmody

(Angel Ruin #1)

Publication Date: August 18, 2026

Paperback, 400 pages, Orbit

Genres: Adult, Romantasy/Paranormal/Dystopian

Goodreads

WHO WILL SURVIVE THE NIGHT?

 

The Shadows that Listen is an unputdownable dystopian romantasy with a delicious slow burn romance, from debut author Louisa Carmody. Perfect for fans of Crescent City and Silver Elite.

 

It's been five years since the world was brought to its knees by an immortal war. Daemons crawled from the depths of hell and the sky bled gold as the angels arrived. Humanity thought it was saved, but the angels did not come to protect us.

 

Amara is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency. She spends her days searching for those who don't make it home after curfew. But when her boyfriend Jeremy goes missing, she decides to venture into the shadows to bring him back. Even if it means death.

 

Nathaniel is an archangel tasked with leading the destruction of humanity, for which he cares little. He doesn't have time to protect little humans running around in the dark, especially those who stab him in the stomach.

 

But Nathaniel and Amara will soon realize they share a foe, one that lurks in the shadows and stalks them from the skies. She might long to kill him, but Amara knows that having an angel at her side is the only way to find the man she loves.

 

The shadows lengthen. They listen. Who will survive the night?

My Review

The Shadows that Listen brought me back to a much simpler time when the angel craze was alive and well in the early 2010s. I loved every second of it then, and I loved diving back into the angel vs. demon world today. This book proved the simple fact that I don't think I'll ever tire of those stories.

The plot of this one really reminded me of Angelfall by Susan Ee. There's a girl trying to find a loved one and she allies with an angel to get that person back and help her navigate the apocalyptic chaos of the world around her. Only, in the case of The Shadows that Listen, the female main character is 27 with a missing boyfriend and skills that come with being a trained soldier. Amara Jones, the FMC, is fierce, witty, and has a remarkable ability to not die. I was impressed and a bit shocked that she kept getting out of some of the situations the author put her in.

As for the archangel and Amara's reluctant ally, Nathaniel, he's the broody and mysterious type. He has the vibes of Angelfall's Raffe, along with other popular male characters, angel or otherwise, like Hunt from Crescent City and Xaden from Fourth Wing. He also has a tendency to seemingly begrudgingly save Amara, which is quite entertaining to an enemies-to-lovers reader like myself.

As for the worldbuilding, I very much enjoyed it. The idea of an apocalyptic world overrun by angels and demons isn't entirely new, but it's still very entertaining. I liked that Amara was part of an intelligence agency, that the angels had their own city, and that the demons (or daemons as they're called in the book) are familiar but unique. Like the hellhounds. Those aren't new to paranormal stories, but the author put a spin on them that I found interesting.

 While I did thoroughly enjoy The Shadows that Listen and I devoured it in only a few days, I will say, there was some repetition, mostly revolving around the number of battle scenes and how those tended to play out. There were a lot of them, and I found myself thinking "Again?" once or twice when we went from a fun tension-filled conversation between the main characters straight into another fight. I also found the ending, while super interesting, to be a bit confusing. Not because things weren't foreshadowed or explained properly, but because I didn't understand why the two characters needed to trek around and make the journey for that ending to happen. It seemed like somewhat of a plot hole, but maybe that'll be touched on more in the second book, which I'll 100% be reading.

All in all, I definitely think this story is for the millennial readers who grew up with Angelfall, Unearthly, Angelfire, Fallen, City of Bones, Hush, Hush, and all the other young adult paranormal angel books. And, for newer readers, Crescent City and Silver Elite fans will very much appreciate this one. It's also for the Supernatural fans. If you miss Sam and Dean battling Lucifer and Michael on your TV screen, then you need to pick up The Shadows that Listen. You'll have so much fun!

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

Release Day & Review: The Summer King by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“You have a soul of a warrior…” The Summer King, a heat-filled, compelling, enemies-to-lovers romantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout & Blue Box Press is available now!

 

The Summer King

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: April 7, 2026

Paperback (limited edition with deluxe edges), 496 pages, Blue Box Press

Genres: Adult, Paranormal/Fantasy, Romance

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Paperback | Goodreads

 

From #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes the complete Summer King saga—three parts, one epic romance.

 

Cold. Heartless. Deadly. Whispers of his name alone bring fear to fae and mortals alike. Caden, the Prince, is the most dangerous being in the mortal world—haunted by a past he couldn’t control and driven by a singular desire: revenge. And there’s only one person who can help him.

 

Brighton Jussier knows better than to trust him. Raised in the Order, she’s seen the atrocities Caden is capable of. Reformed or not, she wants nothing to do with him…until he leaves her no choice. Forced into an uneasy alliance, she discovers the man beneath the ice—a man whose touch burns with forbidden heat and whose gaze holds a wicked promise.

 

But there’s someone out there who wants to return the Prince to his former self. A walking, breathing nightmare hell-bent on destroying the world—and everyone close to him. The more Brighton and Caden work together, the harder it is to deny the hunger between them. And when Brighton is bestowed with the forbidden Summer’s Kiss, becoming something no longer human, Caden refuses to let her go—even at the cost of his Court.

 

Now, as the doorway to the Otherworld is breached, Brighton and Caden must do the unthinkable—not just to survive, but to save mankind from the evil that threatens to consume the world.

 

Previously published as the novellas The Prince, The King, and The Queen.

My Review

The Summer King combines all three Blue Box novellas into one book, which is what I've been waiting for for so very long! I love matching series sets, so it's super exciting that this bindup is releasing right when the Wicked series is also getting a cover redesign. And with gorgeous sprayed edges! Heck yes! As for the actual book, I've been putting off reading these novellas for quite some time. For no particular reason other than once I finished them, I would officially be that much much closer to being caught up on all the JLA books. It'll be terrible to not have any more backlog JLA to keep me going. Her Wicked and Harbinger series got me out of a year-long reading slump in 2020.

The Summer King itself is such a fun time, and it brought me right back to my urban fantasy/paranormal reading days with the modern setting and overarching plot of hunting evil fairies. Brighton, the main POV character, is a strong fmc with a knack for disguises and a desire for revenge, and Caden is the perfect JLA-brand of swoonworthy mmc who tries to keep Brighton alive. Oh, and we can't forget Tink. He's back! I definitely missed Tink, the online-shopping-addict and shrinkable brownie. It was great to see Ivy and Ren too. And Dixon the cat is adorable, of course. But every character in this world is so entertaining. Either because they're badass, funny, or, like I said, swoonworthy.

  I feel like Brighton was a relatable character in the story. She's much more chill than Ivy. Or at least, that's how it was at first. Brighton steps up big time, but I could definitely see more of my shy, introverted self in Brighton than Ivy. She's relatable. Between her character development and the crazy plot of the second novella, I was hooked. No spoilers, but things start happening in The King. The romantic tension in the first novella, The Prince, is A+ too, it just takes a few chapters to really set things up. JLA does know how to write romantic tension, though. And even for a novella series, I felt it was good pacing.

 Although I loved most of this bindup, I will say there were a couple of things that I wasn't quite sure about. The first being that the ending didn't quite resolve the original issue that was introduced in the first novella. Also, it's mentioned that Caden can find Brighton because of spoilery reasons, but that ability doesn't seem to work in book two and I don't think it was explained why. Or I missed it, which could very well be the case. This just supports my crackpot theory that there'll be more books in this world one day soon. Right, JLA? ;)

 Overall, though, it's a JLA book. I'm in it for a good, quick, fun time, and that's exactly what I got. All of JLA's books minus those in her Blood and Ash world are super bingeable. And the only reason her B&A series isn't quite as bingeable is because it's in a fantasy world with new rules and creatures and sometimes that takes more time to process. (I would totally binge the entire series if I could reread it again for the first time, though.)

 Basically, if you're interested in evil versus good fairies, royal fae men, sassy brownies (the fae, not the dessert), and an fmc who steps up, you'll love The Summer King. It's 100% for fans of TV shows like Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Supernatural. with appeal to romantasy readers searching for lighter versions of books like the Crescent City or The Mortal Instruments series.

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

Upcoming Release: The Summer King by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Summer King, a steamy romantic fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout & Blue Box Press is coming April 7th!

 

The Summer King

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: April 7, 2026

Paperback (limited edition with deluxe edges), 496 pages, Blue Box Press

Genres: Adult, Paranormal/Fantasy, Romance

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Paperback

 

From #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes the complete Summer King saga—three parts, one epic romance.

 

Cold. Heartless. Deadly. Whispers of his name alone bring fear to fae and mortals alike. Caden, the Prince, is the most dangerous being in the mortal world—haunted by a past he couldn’t control and driven by a singular desire: revenge. And there’s only one person who can help him.

 

Brighton Jussier knows better than to trust him. Raised in the Order, she’s seen the atrocities Caden is capable of. Reformed or not, she wants nothing to do with him…until he leaves her no choice. Forced into an uneasy alliance, she discovers the man beneath the ice—a man whose touch burns with forbidden heat and whose gaze holds a wicked promise.

 

But there’s someone out there who wants to return the Prince to his former self. A walking, breathing nightmare hell-bent on destroying the world—and everyone close to him. The more Brighton and Caden work together, the harder it is to deny the hunger between them. And when Brighton is bestowed with the forbidden Summer’s Kiss, becoming something no longer human, Caden refuses to let her go—even at the cost of his Court.

 

Now, as the doorway to the Otherworld is breached, Brighton and Caden must do the unthinkable—not just to survive, but to save mankind from the evil that threatens to consume the world.

 

Previously published as the novellas The Prince, The King, and The Queen.

My Thoughts

I recently received an ARC of this one from the publisher, Blue Box Press, so you'll be seeing my review soon. I can't wait to share my thoughts. It's been a while since I read the Wicked trilogy but those books and JLA's Harbinger series got me out of a major reading slump back in 2020. It's been great to dive back into her urban fantasy/paranormal world. I feel like all I read is fantasy or contemporary these days and not anything with both elements. I'm about a third of the way through The Summer King right now, and it's taking me back to much simpler times. But, I'll share my full review next week!

Review: The Primal of Blood and Bone by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Primal of Blood and Bone

Jennifer L. Armentrout

(Blood & Ash #6)

Publication Date: September 23, 2025

Hardcover, 1,288 pages, Blue Box Press

Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Goodreads

 

In the shadows and flames, Primals will fall…

 

And from the blood and ash, new gods will rise.

 

 What was dreamt.

 

Poppy was never meant to awaken, and the consequences are devastating and far-reaching, stirring ancient powers from their slumber and transforming Casteel and Kieran in ways even the Fates couldn’t have foreseen. But what that means is the least of their concerns. For now.

 

What was foreseen.

 

The Blood Crown has fallen, but what has risen is a far greater danger than they’ve ever faced. From flesh and fire, the Great Conspirator has returned to the mortal realm, and he wants only one thing. They must stop the true Primal of Death before he regains his strength, and it won’t be easy. Even weakened, his influence is undeniable. His power, unthinkable. 

 

Has come to be.

 

 While the future of the realms rests upon them, they won’t stand alone. The gods have awakened—each harboring their own blood-soaked secrets. But they must navigate an unbalanced realm, where every choice—past and present—has the potential to not only undo everything they’ve fought for but also destroy the very bonds that have Joined them together.

 

For the Harbinger and the Bringer of Death and Destruction has risen.

My Review

The penultimate Blood & Ash book. I was not prepared for it at all. So many revelations and crazy things happening. It was chaos. In both good and bad ways. My emotions were all over the place, and I honestly didn't know what to do with myself when I finished reading. It took me two days to feel in any way normal about this book. I also kept a giant list of questions for JLA in my notes app. She has a lot to answer for after The Primal of Blood and Bone.

This book picks up right where A Soul of Ash and Blood left off. Poppy is in stasis, and Cas and Kieran are trying to keep things together. Well, Kieran is. Cas is a mess throughout the entire story. He's got a lot going on, so I get it. BUT! Treating my sweet baby Kieran poorly is unacceptable! UNACCEPTABLE! Truthfully, both Poppy and Cas treated him poorly, and I was very upset at both of them. Shame on them. I hope he gets an apology in the final book.

  TPOBAB reminded me a lot of The Crown of Gilded Bones, book three in the series, which wasn't my favorite installment, as it mostly consisted of long conversations full of info-dumping. TPOBAB also had conversations about events that happened in the Flesh & Fire series that we as readers already know about, so some of the dialogue just got a bit slow, and it was a lot. There honestly weren't very many scenes that weren't just lengthy conversations. There was one particular conversation that was repeated three times! Once to Poppy, once to Cas, and once to Kieran! The original conversation could have happened with all three major characters present to save valuable page time. I mean, come on! There's only one book left after this! Please give us more domestic trio scenes before its too late!

But, if you take out all of that, the book itself is solid. I definitely had to give it some time to marinate though. I think, trying to binge read it isn't a good idea. You'll burn out quickly. Read it slowly over a week or two, and maybe have the audio book going in the background, if you're an audio reader. I think it'll have more impact that way, especially with the twists. I am happy to say that I managed to guess the ending of the book based on context clues. I can't normally follow all of JLA's Blood & Ash prophecy-related plots, but I got this one. Gold star for me! Now, did I like where we left off? No. That was evil, JLA.

 Overall, as I've had time to reflect on TPOBAB, I've grown to appreciate it more. I think it's setting up for an insane last book, and I can't wait to see more of Kieran, Cas, Poppy, and Kieran. And, did I say more Kieran already? I really don't want this series to end, though. I'm scared. The spinoffs just won't be the same without our main trio.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book for myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco

Court of Wanderers

Rin Chupeco

(Reaper #2)

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Hardcover, 448 pages, S&S/Saga Press

Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+/Polyamory, Fantasy

Goodreads

 

Remy Pendergast and his royal vampire companions return to face an enemy that is terrifyingly close to home in Rin Chupeco’s queer, bloody Gothic epic fantasy series for fans of Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree and the adult animated series Castlevania.

 

Remy Pendergast, the vampire hunter, and his unexpected companions, Lord Zidan Malekh and Lady Xiaodan Song, are on the road through the kingdom of Aluria again after a hard-won first battle against the formidable Night Empress, who threatens to undo a fragile peace between humans and vampires. Xiaodan, severely injured, has lost her powers to vanquish the enemy’s new super breed of vampire, but if the trio can make it to Fata Morgana, the seat of Malehk’s court—dubbed “the Court of Wanderers”—there is hope of nursing her and bringing them back.

 

En-route to the Third Court, Remy crosses paths with his father, the arrogant, oftentimes cruel Lord of Valenbonne. He also begins to suffer strange dreams of the Night Empress, whom he has long suspected to be Ligaya Pendergast, his own mother. As his family history unfolds during these episodes, which are too realistic to be coincidence, he realizes that she is no ordinary vampire—and that he may end up having to choose between the respective legacies of his parents.

 

 Posing as Malek and Xiaodan’s human familiar, Remy contends with Aluria’s intimidating vampire courts and a series of gruesome murders with their help—and more, as the three navigate their relationship. But those feelings and even their extraordinary collective strength will be put to the test as each of them unleashes new powers in combat at what may be proven to be the ultimate cost.

My Review

Court of Wanderers was going to be one of my most anticipated books of 2024, but I got to read an ARC in October!!! And since this is only a duology, I was able to finish this amazing series in less than one year! It's such a bittersweet moment, and I'm going to miss Remy, Zidan, and Xiaodan. Ugh. That's the sad part about duologies and bingeing series, the magic is over too quickly. But, these books have captured my vampire-loving, fantasy-obsessed heart, so a reread may come in the very near future.

The three main characters are all back for this sequel, and they're trying to navigate their new relationship while dealing with bad vampires and undead monsters. Remy, as always, is a cinnamon roll in knight form, and I LOVE that his is the only POV we get. Too often authors use dual POV and it takes away from the mystery of the other characters, especially when it comes to romantic tension. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a romance. It's a fantasy similar in vibes to The Witcher, Empire of the Vampire, and even Van Helsing, the Hugh Jackman gothic paranormal film (not the original Dracula character). But all of those also have some interesting romances within the overarching storyline, and there's plenty of action, politics, and scheming to keep everyone entertained.

As for our other two characters, Zidan and Xiaodan, they're trying to figure things out. Zidan with leadership thrust upon him, and Xiaodan with her unreliable powers. I just adore these three characters' dynamics. One kind-of human, two vampires, and a lot of trouble.

 With the plot, everything was so fast-paced, in a great way. I devoured it all. And even though I did forget a few details between reading book one and book two, it was very easy to get back into the world and story. It's a digestible fantasy. I will say that the ending was a little crazy and convoluted. Nothing terrible per se, but I would have preferred a little less chaos in that last 10%, or at least another chapter or two to settle things down after the craziness. There were also a few too many villain monologues, which made those last chapters a bit cheesy. Still loved the book, however.

All in all, I read Silver Under Nightfall in August of 2023 and got to read Court of Wanderers in late October, and now I feel like no other book will live up to this story. I want more! Ugh! Just give me domestic Remy, Zidan, and Xiaodan scenes, Rin Chupeco. Please! But anyway... Trust me, if you're a fan of The Witcher, Empire of the Vampre, Van Helsing, From Blood and Ash, or any other vampire paranormal story, this duology should be your next read.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review 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: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Cemetery Boys

Aiden Thomas

Publication Date: September 1, 2020

Hardcover, 352 pages, Swoon Reads

Genres: YA, Paranormal, LGBT+

Goodreads

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys, described by Entertainment Weekly as "groundbreaking."

 

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him. 

 

 When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. 

 

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

My Review

Ghosts and boys? Brujos and Latinx family feels? Heck yes! Cemetery Boys is such a fun, wholesome urban fantasy romp that gave me major Meg Cabot Mediator series and Supernatural vibes. I truly wish I had read it during spooky season and not right after the winter holidays. Major fail on my part.

Yadriel, our main character, just wants to be accepted by his family as a real brujo. And oh my, is Yadriel such a cinnamon roll. But he's a cinnamon roll with a purpose. He knows what he wants and he goes after it with the help of his cousin, Maritza, who was also super fun. She's very protective and fierce. It was nice to see her so supportive of her cousin and watch her get roped into all of his schemes.

Our other main character is Julian, and, despite being a ghost, Julian is such a full-of-life character. He made me smile continuously. His friends were fun too, though they didn't get a lot of page time.

As for the plot, it had its ups and downs. The family dynamics and interactions provided all the family drama feels, and Yadriel's conversations with Julian just gave me all the warm fuzzies. However, the antagonist was, unfortunately, pretty easy to spot on their first introduction. I didn't know exactly how everything would resolve, but the sequence of events lined up pretty closely to my original guess. It was still an entertaining journey though, and I don't regret taking it.

All in all, Cemetery Boys is a book not just for trans kids. It's for everyone who feels out of place in their family, school, or even career path. Though, for trans and any other teens, this book might be a great way to find a story that gets them sucked into reading. It's pretty addicting.

*Note: I received a copy of this book as a gift from a friend. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Review: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

These Violent Delights

Chloe Gong

(These Violent Delights #1)

Publication Date: November 17, 2020

Hardcover, 464 pages, Hodder & Stoughton

Genres: YA, Historical Fiction, Paranormal

Goodreads

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. 

 

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule. 

 

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.

My Review

Romeo and Juliet as two rival gang members? In 1926 Shanghai? With paranormal elements? Sounds like a blast, right? For some of it, it was.

These Violent Delights is a unique idea with a unique location not seen very often in western young adult publishing, but something in the book just seemed to be missing. The exposition was kind of dry at times, even though the information about foreign powers interfering with Shanghai's political backdrop was super important to real events, the story kind of read like a history book in spots. Juliette Cai's narration was often the most dense, even though there were multiple POVs in the book.

There was also a lot of description of the city and political backdrop, which is completely fine, but as a character-reader, I felt like the characters' individual personalities didn't get to shine with so much description. The gang elements were kind of the same way. I went into this story expecting some heavy tension between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers, but I never really felt like any of our main characters were in danger at any point. Maybe some of the side characters, but not the two protagonists. And, more importantly, why do these kids just get to run around? Shouldn't the head of a major criminal operation have guards for their kids or keep tabs on them somehow? Maybe I'm modernizing the fictional story too much...

Now, to the actual Romeo and Juliet, a.k.a Roma and Juliette. Roma wanting to stop committing violent acts and Juliette being all about the gang life was a dichotomy I loved and did not expect going into These Violent Delights. Juliette was pretty fierce, but, as I mentioned, her exposition was looooong. She also had the longest chapters. I was disappointed that when the two characters were together, there was never enough tension and angst between them. I never really felt their love and longing (something that seems crucial in an R&J retelling), even though I wanted to. However, I was very happy with the diversity Gong added to the story in terms of her side characters. I may continue with book two just for more Mars and Ben content.

Personally, this book simply missed the mark somewhere. I honestly wish it had solely been a historical romance retelling of Romeo & Juliet without the whole paranormal/bug aspect. A proper gang war story would've been bada$$ and allowed for some true tension. Instead, it turned into a weird monster hunt. Unfortunately, the ending was all about the paranormal elements and the gang war storylines barely played a part, so the big cliffhanger has me hesitating to pick up the sequel.

All in all, I give Chloe Gong major, MAJOR props for writing something so unique and intriguing. Even when I wasn't super invested in the story because of exposition, I still found myself learning about 1926 Shanghai. Sadly, I think I went into this book expecting something that I just didn't get. Hopefully other readers will have better luck.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book for myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

 

Review: Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Kingdom of the Wicked

Kerri Maniscalco

(Kingdom of the Wicked #1)

Publication Date: October 27, 2020

Hardcover, 448 pages, JIMMY Presents

Genres: YA, Paranormal/Fantasy

Goodreads

Two sisters.

One brutal murder.

A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…

And an intoxicating romance.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…

My Review

Unlike a lot of people, I didn’t really know a whole lot about this book (or that it even existed) until October’s FairyLoot theme was announced. And actually, I’m glad it wasn’t a book that was on my radar. Surprises for book bloggers are hard to come by in these days of Bookstagram, Booktube, and Goodreads.

All that being said, I did very much enjoy this one. Kingdom of the Wicked reminded me of a cross between Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Dark Elements trilogy and Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. Two series I enjoy very much.

Like most paranormal romance books, there are two main characters in this one. The heroine is Emilia, a witch who just lost her secret-keeping twin sister, and the love interest is Wrath, a prince of the underworld. Emilia is a decent character, she kind of just ran around making bad decisions 90% of the novel. However, she accomplished what she set out to do. It just seemed like every time she stepped out of her house, she’d run into demon creature goon #99 and discover a clue to her revenge plot. It was almost a little too easy and quick sometimes. Now Wrath, he was cool. Not the best demon prince I’ve ever read about (that title goes to Roth), but sexy, nonetheless.

So the characters are fun, but not super unique. The author did manage to create an awesome world, though. Using the seven deadly sins as demon princes is super similar to Lords of the Underworld, but there’s a different vibe, since these are witch-based demon princes and not demons from Pandora’s Box. Unfortunately, I am still kind of confused about what the time period in Italy was when this book takes place, since there are no cell phones yet the clothes for Wrath reminded me of an early-1900s gentleman. Maybe it was mentioned and I just missed it. Not sure. Oh, and why was there a map of a certain demonland at the beginning if the characters never actually visit it..?

As for the ending, the book concludes on a pretty big, annoying cliffhanger. Gah! I hate it when authors cut the book off when things just get really good. But I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel. Oh, and a random quirk I noticed was Emilia’s parents, who just let their daughter run around talking with demons. Very odd.

All of my nitpicks aside, Kingdom of the Wicked is a fast-paced, addicting read. If you love any kind of paranormal romance, this is for you. In fact, I wish it had been New Adult versus YA. I think it really could’ve been better with a higher page count and some darker scenes.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.