Review: Nemesis Mine by Amy Archer

Nemesis Mine

Amy Archer

Publication Date: June 23, 2026

Paperback, 432 pages, Harper Voyager

Genres: Adult, Romantasy, LGBTQ+

Goodreads

A long-lost noble of the ruthless vampire court discovers she might not need to choose between her two suitors in this blood-pounding new romantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of the Bitten and Bound series.

 

A not-so-evil villain strikes a deal with a not-quite-perfect hero to fake a feud, boost their reputations . . . and try not to fall in love in the process—in this hilarious, tender, sexy, and outrageously fun romp that blends the humor of Assistant to the Villain with the unforgettable romance of Red, White, & Royal Blue and the cozy fantasy vibes of Legends & Lattes.

 

Fake nemeses. It’s a dastardly plan that can’t go wrong… until love crashes the act.

 

Nobody is more surprised than Cyrus to learn that he’s no longer considered the greatest villain in the land of Athaca. Sure, he’s lying about the fact that his magical power is making flowers grow. And maybe lately he’s spent more time embroidering pillowcases than tormenting the locals. But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to be yesterday’s evil news.

 

Enter the hero Maximillian: the realm’s golden boy, complete with a blinding smile, chiseled abs, and an infuriating habit of spreading hope and joy. (Gross.) If Cyrus wants to be taken seriously, he’ll have to take this guy down.

 

But Maximillian isn’t quite as perfect as he seems. When he proposes a scheme to fake an epic rivalry and increase their fame, Cyrus can’t resist. Stage the battles, soak up the spotlight, share the spoils—it’s a villainously good marketing plan.

 

There’s just one hitch. Pretending to hate your nemesis becomes a lot harder when you start falling for them instead.

My Review

Nemesis Mine is a very cute, easy, fun read. It reminded me a lot of Nimona the graphic novel mixed with Vicious by V.E. Schwab, but with more kissing. Thank goodness. Honestly, this book is kind of a perfect beach read for romantasy readers who don't pick up contemporary romances. You could easily zip through Nemesis Mine in a few hours while lounging near the ocean.

The main character, Cyrus, is an evil wrongdoer. As the villain of the story, it's his job to essentially inconvenience everyone as they go about their everyday lives. I honestly laughed out loud at some of Cyrus's crazy antics. Like stealing a horse and naming her Soulripper. And his sprite "friends" were adorable. Cyrus tries so hard to be bad, but his pink pajamas and sprite companions would beg to differ.

Like Cyrus and his villainy, Maximillian, the hero of the story, is not quite as heroic as he seems, since he decides to come up with a fake plan for his own benefit. Together, Cyrus and Maximillian become enemies to reluctant allies to maybe lovers all in the span of one quick read.

While there have been a handful of superhero/villain stories lately, I don't recall any that have taken place in a fantasy world that have revolved around fake schemes crafted by the two main characters, so Nemesis Mine does seem fairly unique. My only criticism of the overall story the author created is that things were a bit too predictable towards the end. I wanted a touch more drama and danger. The same could be said for a couple of the arguments as well. I expected Cyrus to cause some major chaos when certain events came to light, but he kept things pretty mellow. Seeing him truly angry could have been hilarious, though. (Says the reader who doesn't have to be around his crazy retaliatory schemes.)

All in all, I had a fun time with this one. It's a book that doesn't take itself too seriously and could be a great palette cleanser between larger epic fantasy/romantasy series. You can digest this book in a single sitting. I think I ended up reading the entire thing in 48 hours, which is rare for me these days. If you're a fan of the more campy fantasy tales, you should totally pick up Nemesis Mine.

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

Review: Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter

Blood Bound

Ellis Hunter

(Cursed Covenant #1)

Publication Date: April 28, 2026

Hardcover, 485 pages, Atria Books

Genres: Adult, Romantasy

Goodreads

A debut high-stakes fantasy romance trilogy set against a once-in-a-generation duel to the death between rival witches and dragon riders as they battle to control the source of all magic in their kingdoms. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Quicksilver.

 

You duel or you die.

 

Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions, and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.

 

Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her travelling troupe arrive in Vatra’s capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined.

 

As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.

My Review

Blood Bound has most definitely been advertised correctly. It is perfect for fans of Fourth Wing due to the dragon companions and deadly competitions, but I also think fans of Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series would like this one. Blood Bound has powers, squabbling royal families, and attractive princes. It's basically like if Red Queen and Fourth Wing threw some witches and familiars in the mix. So of course I had a good time reading it!

The story starts out a bit slow, as it's introducing the two main POV characters: Astrid, the witch heir, and Skylar, a knife thrower in a traveling troupe. It took a bit for things to pick up speed enough for me to start caring for these two characters. I think it was due to the shorter chapters and the two separate POVs. However, events happened about a quarter of the way through the book that blew my mind. I totally wasn't expecting that twist. And the twists just kept coming. Some of them, I guessed, but there were a few that I didn't expect at all.

As for the worldbuilding, it was pretty good. There's a blight happening across the world with a hidden power source, corrupt rulers, and secret rebellions. Then of course, you have the fuzzy familiars, like Quincy the giant fox and Bastet the cat. And the beaver! Oh, so cute! I do think the ending was a bit rushed, which does have to do with the worldbuilding. I wish there had been a bit more foreshadowing for the finale, as the big reveal seemed to come out of nowhere. (Or maybe I'm just not as observant as I thought I was.) The ending still hooked me, though, so I'm ready for book two!

 Honestly, I enjoyed almost every aspect of the book despite some flaws. I think the only major weakness I saw was the relationships. Things just seemed to move so fast between various characters. It was a tad insta-lovey in a few parts, unfortunately. So, I think this is definitely a story more for the plot readers than the character/romance readers. While Zryan reads like a sexy male love interest, I felt somewhat disconnected from him. Again, I think that comes back to the shorter chapters each being from two different POVs. If the book had been a bit longer, it may have established his character a bit more. I think just one extra chapter of a tension-filled scene between Zryan and Astrid could have helped. Same for other relationships I won't mention due to spoilers. This includes non-romantic ones as well.

All in all, I liked Blood Bound a lot. It was a good time, and, once I got about 10 chapters in, it started reading fairly quickly. I often told myself to put the book down, but the next thing I know, I've read five more chapters. There's action, high stakes, and magic galore! I'm excited to read the sequel when it comes out.

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

Review: We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark

We Who Will Die

Stacia Stark

(Empire of Blood #1)

Publication Date: December 30, 2025

Hardcover, 423 pages, Avon

Genres: Adult, Romantasy

Goodreads

From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires. Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Jasmine Mas, and Rebecca Yarros.

 

Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

 

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.

 

She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.

 

With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.

 

To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…

My Review

Vampires in a gladiator/Ancient Rome-inspired magical fantasy setting? Sounds amazing! Written by Stacia Stark, author of the Kingdom of Lies series? Even more amazing! We Who Will Die is a fun time, and its comparison to The Vampire Diaries universe is definitely adequate. It has prime CW-level qualities. Honestly, it gives True Blood vibes too with all of the creatures. But the romance. That's TVD all the way.

I will say that I was hoping for a bit more vamp lore and gritty times. That's my own fault because this book is not dark and gritty. Even though there are sad moments, it's a really high-vibes type of book. Like, people are dying and we're kind of just breezing past it. I did really enjoy Arvelle's relationships with her brothers and her friends, though. As the female main character, Arvelle herself isn't very unique as a protagonist and she makes some dumb decisions. Those dumb decisions are explained later on, but still... I guess she makes the story interesting. For the other two main characters, those are the male love interests. One more so than the other at this time. Now, their dynamic kept me reading. I loved the vamp and spoilery relationship between the two that was revealed towards the end. It was a good bit of drama. And I think towards the end is really when everything comes together for these characters. They're seemingly working together versus keeping secrets constantly, so things started clicking.

My main criticism towards this book was honestly the middle. It was a bit underwhelming compared to the beginning and the ending. The middle just seemed like events were happening one right after another with no pause for the reader to care why they were happening. It was like BAM! Arena fight scene. BAM! Party to celebrate! BAM! Dramatic murder! It all needed to slow down for some character reflection or scenery description. For example, during the party scene, Arvelle has a conversation with like four characters back-to-back in less than five pages. That whole party scene should have taken up one long chapter with descriptions of the scenery, Arvelle's dress, the food, other characters' outfits, etc. But it was all glossed over. But again, that's simply what I would have preferred. And, like I said, the beginning had a lot of fun introducing readers to the world and characters and the ending was fun because everything kind of blew up and secrets were revealed. I definitely still enjoyed the story, even though the middle was a bit underwhelming.

All in all, if you're looking for a fun, angsty romantasy, then We Who Will Die is 100% for you. It has vampires for the paranormal lovers, griffons and gorgons for the mythology lovers, and strange deaths for the murder-mystery readers. It's a good time with the promise of an even better time when book two comes out. I am pretty excited to see how all that drama unfolds.
 

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

Review: Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport

Our Vicious Oaths

N.E. Davenport

Publication Date: October 28, 2025

Paperback, 528 pages, Harper Voyager

Genres: Adult, Fantasy/Romantasy

Goodreads

Enter a new world of romantic fantasy from award-winning author N.E. Davenport—a journey of powerful magic, enemies-to-lovers, and political intrigue—as a warrior-princess and a vengeful king from rival fae courts form a fierce alliance to take down a merciless despot.

 

Princess of the Aether Dominion, Kadeesha wants nothing to do with fae politics. She is a warrior, first and foremost, and believes her greatest strength is leading her squadron of elite winged serpent flyers to protect her homeland. But bound since infancy to be betrothed to the Hyperion High King, ruler of all Dominions, she has no choice but to do what men have chosen for her.

 

Repulsed by the idea, she decides to spend one last night of freedom—in the arms of a dangerous stranger who takes her to sexual heights she’s never experienced before…but who is only using Kadeesha to set a trap for the High King

 

 For the High King and the kings of his six Dominions were responsible for the decimation of the Apollyon Court, and its new king, Malachi, wants his pounds of flesh.

 

 On Kadeesha’s wedding day, Malachi and his special forces attack. Her father is killed, and Malachi wounds the High King, ultimately taking Kadeesha as hostage back to his land.

 

 But she is no true hostage. The two form a pact: she will help lure the High King so Malachi can kill him once and for all, and he in turn will not harm Kadeesha or the Aether people. And as much as Kadeesha hates politics, she is now the Queen of her folk. Fae bonds are unbreakable…and so, perhaps, is the attraction Kadeesha and Malachi feel for each other. For even as they must publicly display their connection to provoke the High King’s jealousy, they struggle to resist the powerful allure between them in order to achieve their ultimate goals.

My Review

If you're looking for a romantasy book with a tension-filled relationship similar to Amber V. Nicole's Gods & Monsters series only set in an all-out fantasy fae world, I think Our Vicious Oaths could definitely be for you. It has characters with magical powers, kongamatos (giant serpent dragons), and two main characters who loathe each other.

The two main characters are fairly antagonistic to each other. At times, I got a bit uncomfortable thinking "Oh, we're doing that? Okay." It's a very unconventional relationship in a fantasy romance story simply because of their thoughts and actions towards each other. The female main character, Kadeesha, is an aether fire-wielding, kongamato-riding princess who reeeeally wants to kill Malachi, the king of the Apollyon Court. She even plans to kill him when things seem to be going well in their alliance. And Malachi, the shadow-wielding king, has a tendency to play the bad guy to everyone except his close companions. So yeah, reluctant allies to lovers with enemies to lovers thrown in too. Like I said, she wants to kill him, and he is extremely... intense.

Now, I was worried their tension wouldn't work because of how their original meeting played out in the early chapters of the story. It was a bit underwhelming when the characters first got together. However, their tension gets better as time goes on, and the intimate scenes are much more impactful. So, keep reading, even if those first few chapters throw you off.

 The two main characters having to work together to defeat a tyrannical bad guy is a good plot. Very solid. And it works well for a standalone like this. I will say, the book did have a weakness, though. Its clunky sentence structure was difficult to read at times. For example, the sentence, "His other hand moved to cup her hip, his fingers splayed along its length, a possessive brand that was searing." The sentence could have ended with "a possessive searing brand" to be more impactful. This is just one of many examples. And although these sentences did hinder my enjoyment a little, I was still able to read the book without any major issues.

That being said, I do think the plot and characters carried this story. The two main characters were feisty and powerful with unique personalities in an interesting fantasy world. I do wish the side characters in Malachi's Cadre and the kongamato flyers had more time to shine, but maybe that means spinoffs in the future? Seeing the side characters romances could be fun...

All in all, Our Vicious Oaths was a good time. It has cool shadow and fire powers, characters seeking vengeance from evil rulers, and battles with dragons. I think romantasy readers will enjoy this one just like I did.

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

Review: Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

Arcana Academy

Elise Kova

(Arcana Academy #1)

Publication Date: July 22, 2025

Hardcover, 576 pages, Del Rey

Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Goodreads

A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling romantasy series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.

 

Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards-a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

 

Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy's enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

 

In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

 

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world-and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?

My Review

Arcana Academy is for the Gambit and tarot card girlies first and foremost. And, unfortunately, I am not one of those girlies. However, I still enjoyed this book, but I had a rough time getting through the beginning. The story starts out pretty heavy on the world- and magic-building. It's a little info-dumpy, similar to the first Crescent City book. I stuck with it, though, and the payoff was worth the confusion and head scratches that consistently popped up while I was trying to figure out what the heck each card did and who everyone was. After the first third of the story, though, things started to get fun.

Let me back up a bit. Our main character, Clara Graysword, has been imprisoned for illegal tarot card magic. She shouldn't be creating or using the cards she's been wielding, so she's locked up by the royal family. A year later, Prince Kaelis comes to get her for his own reasons. He wants her help with a secret task. Now, she has to pretend to be his fiance (fake engagement!) and successfully graduate a magical school (trials and competitions!). It's also the school where he rules as the headmaster. Clara is a strong female lead. She didn't fold easily just because a prince batted his eyes at her, which I appreciated. She was also confident in her abilities and weaknesses. It was refreshing to see for a female main character in a fantasy world. Kaelis, on the other hand, is kind of a jerk at first. But, the tension between the two was very nice. I was actually a bit disappointed when they started getting along. The two still had their moments, though.

As for the magic and world, that's where the book lost me at first. It was really hard to follow the card logistics. And maybe that was because I was reading an e-ARC, so it wasn't easy to flip back to the descriptions of various cards, houses, or characters. Maybe the finished copy will have a nice list of all the important magical terminology in the front of the book for the card types, uses, houses, and house members. I think readers would really appreciate that. For the story itself, it was fun. The academy elements are very reminiscent of the Zodiac Academy series and Fourth Wing while still managing to be its own thing. And while the ending wasn't unexpected, I am sad to have to wait a year or more for book two after that cliffhanger. Boo.

All in all, Arcana Academy was a good read. It had action, intrigue, unique magical powers, romance, and a few twists to keep people reading. I do, however, think readers need to be prepared to go into it with that heavy worldbuilding in mind. If you're not mentally ready to be in a story with descriptive magic, come back to Arcana Academy later, when you can digest all the things. It's a long book, and it takes some brain power to get through. It's very similar to an epic fantasy in that way, just without the larger-scaled setting (the academy is pretty much the primary setting) and multiple points of view (Clara is the only POV throughout the story).

*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 Bound Worlds by Megan E. O'Keefe

The Bound Worlds

Megan E. O'Keefe

(The Devouring Worlds #3)

Publication Date: June 25, 2024

Paperback, 496 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.

 

Worlds will collide and fates will be rewritten in the thrilling conclusion to the Devoured Worlds space opera trilogy by award-winning author Megan E. O’Keefe. Naira and Tarquin have found a new home on Seventh Cradle. But the peace they’ve built is short-lived as mysterious assailants ambush the settlement and Naira is haunted by visions of a monstrous future. Catastrophe strikes when Tarquin uncovers a plot to bring about the end of the universe. As humanity races against the clock to prevent their extinction, old secrets come to light and loyalties fracture, and Naira realizes she may be the key to saving the world—or ending it.

My Review

After reading this series for two years, it's finally at an end. It's definitely a bittersweet moment. I'm going to miss Tarquin and Naira. But, to be honest, it's kind of difficult for me to review The Bound Worlds. Not because it was bad, but because my experience was a mix of "I love these characters," and "I completely forgot what this is," for 70% of the book. It had just been too long since I'd read the first two installments. So, I was really going off of vibes and my feelings for the two main characters for most of my read.

I kind of hopped into The Bound Worlds with vague recollections, reading but not really comprehending the canus and other sciency specifics. And, unsurprisingly, it was still an entertaining read. So I'm sure adamant sci-fi readers who love space and mind-controlling ethics and experimentation discussions will love this whole trilogy. I do think it's best to read it all close together, though. Don't wait months/years between books or your brief stint as a space-traveling reincarnated scientist-prince or a badass ex-bodyguard will be completely forgotten.

As for the characters, Naira is still being her tough, kick-butt, in-charge self, despite her unfortunate circumstances. And Tarquin is still a fool in love who doesn't get to be as fool-y in this installment due to his elevated status, which was honestly sad. I miss nerdy first-book Tarquin. I also hate when the two main characters are separated. They're more fun when they're together. And, unfortunately, the two were separated about 80% of this book. Oh, and Naira, I need you to never hurt Tarquin again. That was cruel. It hurt my heart.

As for the plot, things were going fairly well at first. Canus and Naira's issues were the main storyline. However, I did get confused that we seemed to have introduced two new major problems into the last half of the final book. All of the sudden there was time travel and brainwashing. Also, I wasn't thrilled with where Tarquin's storyline went. It felt a bit out of character at points. But, just when I was getting a bit upset and thinking about setting the book down, soooo much happened! There was a lot of action and the ending was crazy. The very, very end seemed a bit rushed, but the solution was satisfying as a lover of these characters. I do think the canus stuff was left a bit unresolved though.

All in all, I'm glad I read this series, and I'm definitely curious about Megan O. Keefe's next series. Space pirates, here I come! As I've said for each book in this series, if you enjoy The Expanse series, J.S. Dewes's The Divide trilogy, or even The Illuminae Files and The Aurora Cycle series, then The Devouring Worlds trilogy is probably a good pick for you.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher. 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 Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart

The Bone Shard War

Andrea Stewart

(The Drowning Empire #3)

Publication Date: April 18, 2023

Hardcover, 624 pages, Orbit

Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Goodreads

The Bone Shard Daughter was hailed as "one of the best debut fantasy novels of the year" (BuzzFeed News). Now, Andrea Stewart brings us the final book in this unmissable, action-packed, magic-laced epic fantasy trilogy, The Bone Shard War.

 

 Lin Sukai has won her first victory as Emperor, but the future of the Phoenix Empire hangs in the balance – and Lin is dangerously short of allies.

 

As her own governors plot treason, the Shardless Few renew hostilities. Worse still, Lin discovers her old nemesis Nisong has joined forces with the rogue Alanga, Ragan. Both seek her death.

 

Yet hopes lies in history. Legend tells of seven mythic swords, forged in centuries past. If Lin can find them before her enemies, she may yet be able to turn the tide.

 

 If she fails, the Sukai dynasty – and the entire empire – will fall.

My Review

It's here. The final book in The Drowning Empire series. I'm super glad I was able to binge the entire trilogy because I don't know how I could have waited an entire 17 months. That's just crazy. I'd have gone through extreme Mephi withdrawals. I'm already going through them now that the series is over. It's terrible.

I do have to be honest, though, The Bone Shard War does something I do not like in fantasy books. It makes use of the dreaded time jump. Small time jumps of a month, two months, maybe even six months, are okay. But when you start getting into the two-year mark like this one, I get very sad. I really wanted to see the events Andrea Stewart described play out on-page. It was weird hearing how certain terrible things had happened to one of the major characters and never really getting enough emotion to feel for Jovis's predicament, especially as his events played out towards the end of the book. I had a hard time connecting to his actions.

Despite the time jump, I felt that the other four major characters, Lin, Phalue, Ranami, and Nisong stuck pretty true to their earlier characterizations. It was just Jovis that I had a hard time with, though his chapters were still my favorite. Him and Mephi are my favorite relationship of the whole series. I love that little creature, and I'm so jealous of Jovis for having an ossalen when I don't. I will say, however, that Lin's actions as emperor did get a bit repetitive. She seemed to be making the same mistakes and nothing would change. The ending kind of reflected this, but that's another issue I had. The ending flip-flopped some of our bad guys, and it felt a bit like a copout, sadly.

Now, I'm not saying I didn't enjoy this book. But I am saying it was one I think readers will have to sit with for a while. Things happen to the major characters that aren't your happily-ever-after story, so don't go expecting that. And there are innocent and lovable creatures that didn't deserve any of the abuse the characters put them through. I'm still very mad about some of the animal abuse in this book. It was terrible. I'm also just trying to wrap my head around what happened to some of those creatures at the very, very end. I cried. It was not pretty.

Honestly, I think this is a book that you just have to sit with. It reminded me a lot of Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series' ender, War Storm. I very much did not like the unsatisfactory ending of that series, but as time went on and I had some distance to reflect on the storyline, I found myself appreciating it more. And now that I've given myself time to think about The Bone Shard War's events, I can appreciate the book a little more. I still think the action scenes went on a tad too long, but some of the smaller nitpicks I had about major characters being separated from each other and having fewer fun scenes with Mephi kind of faded so I could focus on the overall storyline. And I still really liked the series as a whole. Even with an ending that I just wasn't sure about at first.

All in all, I think fantasy readers who appreciate authors writing bittersweet, more realistic endings will be pleased with this one. It's definitely for fans of The Poppy War and The Daevabad series (as I've repeated quite a few times by now, sorry), but if you like sweeter finales, be prepared for some torment with this last installment. It'll get you right in the feels.

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