Review: The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab

★★★★★ | book 82 of 2023 — a truly magical return to the world of Shades, through both familiar and new eyes. A must read for all lovers of the Darker Shade of Magic trilogy.

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab is the newest book in the Darker Shades of Magic world, initiating a new trilogy beginning seven years after the conclusion of A Conjuring of Light. In addition to the familiar characters of Kell, Lila, Rhy and Alucard, we are introduced to new characters like Kosika the White London Queen, Tes the tinkerer who can manipulate the threads of magic, and the new Queen of Red London (among others). It is a testament to Schwab’s skill that I loved being in the POV of Tes as much as I did the original characters and I am so looking forward to reading more from her POV (hopefully!). I have always liked White London POVs the least, but the inclusion of Kosika really held my interest.

Threads of Power incorporates a masterfully detailed plot, leaving the reader eagerly anticipating the next book. The world that we thought we were well versed in at the end of the original trilogy continues to be expanded as the secretive rebellion force The Hand is prowling the city with the intent of killing the royal family. Of course, chaos and adventure and magic ensues.

I think one of the aspects of this series that makes it so engrossing is that Schwab’s characters are unlike any other character I’ve read - there is no need for Lila to stop being pointy and geared for violence 95% of the time, and there is no need for Kell to stop being a mildly grumpy worrier 95% of the time. It doesn’t mean we don’t see a change in them, but they don’t stop being who they at their core, just because they are seven years older and in a different circumstance than they once were. Schwab represents the whole spectrum of humanity, and it is because of this, I think, that this series is still a favourite of mine. Seeing lovely moments between Kell and Lila, and between Rhy and Alucard made my heart melt, not to mention the personal growth they have all gone through. Reading this book truly felt like coming home.

If you have read the original trilogy and this new instalment, let me know what you think of it in the comments or over on my Instagram @kell_read!

Review: The Nightborn Duet by Carissa Broadbent

The Serpent & the Wings of Night ★★★★ | book thirty-one of 2023 | e-book

The Ashes & the Star Cursed King ★★★.75 | book thirty-two of 2023 | e-book

The Serpent & the Wings of Night, book 1 of the Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent had me obsessed by 20% in. It was one of those books that had me up until the early hours of the morning because I just needed to know what happened next. It didn’t necessarily do anything new, nor was there anything that screamed ‘unique’, but that didn’t take away my level of enjoyment. I thought Oraya was an incredible MC, she was conflicted and almost felt like an unreliable narrator in the sense that she had been so influenced and honed by Vincent, that as she moved through the Kejari, you realised just how little of her thoughts and beliefs were her own. But her growth in this book was so wonderful to read, and the dynamic between Raihn and Mische, and then Oraya’s growing relationship and dynamic with both of them, was a joy to read. The last 15% of this book had me barely breathing. I was stressed. I am such a sucker for a tortured love interest with a quick wit and eyes only for the FMC, and Raihn was absolutely no different. There is this one scene with Oraya, going out of her way to bring Raihn joy with the sun and the mirrors — I squealed and then almost teared up.

The Ashes & the Star Cursed King, unfortunately, wasn’t quite as enjoyable for me as the first book, however, it definitely gets points for being a dual POV. I loved LOVED being in the mind of Raihn, and I kind of wish we had that for book 1 (although I do understand and appreciate the character arc Oraya went through in book one, and how dual POV probably would have hindered that). Anyway, loved being in his mind, especially since we were in this completely shaken up, post-Kejari world. I wish we got more MIsche in this one, although by the sounds of it, the next duology in this series may just feature her as our new FMC. The angst, the growth, the character development, Raihn + Oraya, there were still parts of this book that I loved, it just didn’t have that ‘unputdownable’ quality to it. I can’t really go into it without spoiling something, but this duology is definitely an enjoyable, heartwrenching read that I would recommend to lovers of ACOTAR and romantasy in general. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book about vampires, and I am looking forward to continuing the series.

Let me know your thoughts if you’ve read thhis duology! Did you enjoy them?

Review: Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

Bloodmarked ★★★★★ | Book twenty nine of 2023 | audiobook / paperback

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn is the second book in the Legendborn Cycle which draws inspiration from Arthurian legends and weaves it into a twenty-first century American setting. This instalment picks up where Legendborn leaves off, and now the stakes are higher than ever with Nick abducted and Bree’s world completely turned on it’s head. This series beautifully handles important and difficult subject matter like grief and loss, trauma, and racism while being an empowering story imbued with magic and love — this series is an absolute gem.

This is one of those rare occasions that the second book in a trilogy was just as good as the first. Bloodmarked not only had me up until the early hours of the morning after reading it all day to finish it, but it is full of complex characters, incredible friendships and friendship-dynamics, a fleshed-out world with intricate magic systems, and a plot that doesn’t loosen it’s grip, even after the final page. We are introdued to many new characters as Bree’s world of the Legendborn and Rootcrafters expands, but Deonn has blessed us with so many incredible scenes with Sel, Bree, William, Alice and Nick. The dialogue in this series is one of my favourite parts about it, along with the personal growth and absolute badassery of our main characters.

“And... you're also the most wondrous being I have ever encountered, will ever encounter. And I believe there is nothing in this world that you cannot do.”

This is one of those books and series that will stay with me long after it is over for more ways than one. You can now find me impatiently waiting for the final book while obsessively re-reading my favourites scnes (*cough* Bree’s birthday *cough*).

Review: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Legendborn ★★★★★ | Book twenty eight of 2023 | audiobook / paperback

I have so many thoughts about this book but I have to keep this review short — i don’t want to spoil a single thing.

This book was raw, magical, heartwarming — it has consumed me for the past three days.
Bree, our main character, goes through an incredible journey — she works through and embraces her grief, her trauma. She learns about who she is — her identity is such a foundational aspect of this book — and as she makes her way through magic, her family history, the history of the world she has found herself in, and through it she finds friends, she experiences love and utter heartbreak.

This YA contemporary fantasy draws on the Arthurian legend, a whole body of lore that is slippery, with branches splintering off it as the legend developed through the centuries. Deonn has created something new within the world of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, she includes so many twists and turns in this story I could not stop reading.

I am hooked.

5 stars.
PS. I love Selwyn Kane.

Review: The Prison Healer Series by Lynette Noni

The Prison Healer Series ★★★★★ | books five, six, and seven of 2023 | paperback/e-book

This review of the entire series is spoiler free, but it’s also a rave because I loved it so much. Lynette Noni has taken her place firmly as one of my favourite authors of all time. This is the second time that she has made me fall completely in love with reading again, completely in love with a series and with a whole set of characters. This series has consumed my every waking moment since I started it. The emotion that Noni evoked from me while I read this series (in particular the final book) is the reason I read. A re-read so I can annotate all of my favourite parts is definitely in my future. Thankyou, Lynette Noni.

The Prison Healer ★★★★★ — Hooked me from the first page. Kiva is such a great main character. It had a plot that sucked me in, but it was the characters, the found family, Naari, Tipp, and Jayden that sealed the deal for me. Honestly, this book gave me the YA fantasy hit I needed. I hate that, once again, I have waited so long to pick up another great book, especially considering I DEVOURED the Medoran Chronicles. The ending to this made me SO glad that I waited until the entire trilogy had been published though. This book kept me on my toes just enough that I didn't quite know what was coming next, but still managed to rip my heart out and made me verbally ‘aawww’ a few times — all the signs of a good book.

The Gilded Cage ★★★★☆ — now I may not have liked it as much as the first book, but boy was I completely entranced. Lynette Noni had me hanging on her every word. I just kept picking this book up at every available moment. This blog is a Jaren fan club, as it is a Caydon fan club. I think the thing that bothered me was because of how attached I have become to Jaren, to Naari and to Tipp, and Kiva’s inability to choose a side when it was so clear which side she needed to take. I love her spunk and especially in the prison healer, I loved her morals. The way she stood up for the people who needed her help, and her loyalty to those she cared for. I just felt like Kiva was a different person in this second instalment, which, because now I am sucked in hook, line, and sinker, just had me screaming at her to pull it together!! As always, my rating is 100% on vibes and I still absolutely LOVED this book, it was just Kiva’s choices and constant conflicting emotions throughout that bothered me (especially with one side of the conflict clearly not being deserving of her). But god, did it make for incredible reading.

The Blood Traitor ★★★★★ — I think I loved this as much as I loved the first one. The trauma, the healing, the found family, the redemption, the love, the magic. I am finding it hard to put into words how this book affected me. I haven’t felt so strongly about fictional characters in a very long time. The main group of characters in this book, their dynamic together and separately was the highlight. Noni gave us some incredible character arcs, some twists I didn’t see coming, and some truly heartwarming and heartwrenching moments. The suspense of the first 80% of this book (iykyk) had me unable to put it down. It was wonderful being introduced to more of the world, and despite me (as always) wanting more exploration of the world Noni has created, it wasn’t necessary to the greater story. The development of friendships and personal growth in this book was one of the things that struck me the most. The plot was more fast-paced in this one than the previous two, and to say I was hanging off every single word is an understatement. It’s impossible to say more without ruining something so I will have to leave it at that.

If you have read this series, let me know how you found it! Are you as completely obsessed as me?

Review: The Daevabad Trilogy (books 2 and 3) by S. A. Chakraborty

The Kingdom of Copper ★★★★☆ | book two of 2023 | e-book

The Empire of Gold ★★★★☆ | book three of 2023 | e-book

The Kingdom of Copper and The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty are books two and three of the Daevabad Trilogy, a rich fantasy trilogy full of epic battles, feuding families and magic. Books two and three of the trilogy were just as enthralling as City of Brass, and although I went into book two still mildly confused with all of the different types of djinn and daeva and the connection between Nahid and Ashfin, I enjoyed the entire series all the same. The books didn't get 5 ★ ratings from me only for a couple of reasons. I thought that the books could have used one final edit as there were a couple of errors and unclear phrasing. I also feel like the magic system wasn’t fully explained, and I still found the different groups and who they were loyal to a bit confusing.

But as always, I review books based on the vibes and my personal enjoyment over anything else. I found myself picking up my kindle constantly, and reading until I fell asleep, something I haven’t felt the urge to do in a long time. The books made me laugh out loud, and the characters and their sarcasm and quips and the whole combination of found family and enemies-friends-lovers triangle of sorts all had me hooked. Every scene with Nahri and Ali either brought a smile to my face, or made me laugh.

I particularly enjoyed the character development throughout this series, and I loved having three POV’s throughout the entire trilogy. It gave the story depth, and allowed the reader an intimate look into the minds of our three main characters. Nahri, Ali, and Dara were all nuanced characters that go through so much in the course of the books, I loved having each of their perspectives. The different relationships and dynamics of this book was an absolute highlight, and although the book is definitely plot driven, it is also character driven (and you know me, I love a book driven by its characters). I have gone through and tabbed/underlined all of the sections I highlighted on my kindle, and its safe to say that this is definitely one of the more thoroughly annotated book series I have read.

This series was a wonderful start to 2023, and hopefully it just keeps getting better. Have you read this series? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or over on my Instagram ✨

Review: The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

★★★★☆ | book one of 2023 | e-book

— what a brilliant first read of the year!

The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty is the first book in the Daevabad Trilogy. The tale is heavily grounded in Middle Eastern folklore and includes Arabian nights influences (I’m not all that familiar with Arabian nights but that is the consensus). The book is set in Egypt, and also Daevabad, the fictional land of the Daeva, Djinn and Shafit. As an ancient history graduate, I loved the setting of the book. It brings me joy to recognise things like the Euphrates River, and the use of ziggurats in the Daevabad capital, not to mention the setting of Cairo. The book includes a rich fantasy world and a diverse range of characters set within a highly political city.

I did find it confusing at times, I wasn’t sure if it was because I didn’t pay enough attention to something important early on in the book, or if it really just wasn’t all that clear throughout. I found it difficult to keep the machinations of the world in order, the difference between the Djinn and the Daeva, which tribes liked whom and which were enemies. It didn’t necessarily ruin the book for me because I personally love deep world building, complex political situations and when authors are uncompromising with their world, however, I often found myself reading but not completely understanding what was going on.

The general air of confusion I had while reading it made it difficult to ascertain which characters were on whose side, however I still enjoyed the diverse cast of people. Loved the MC Nahri in the beginning as a conwoman who basically fell into this new world, but towards the end she became less interesting to me. Ali is a complex character who I really enjoyed being in the mind of, and Dara, well, he always gave me weird vibes but I also can’t help but feel bad for the guy and I definitely liked him a lot for the first half / 3/4 of the book — definitely harbouring conflicting feelings for him. The book was more violent than I was anticipating, but overall I think it added to the authenticity of the story, and heightened the risks.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I struggled to put it down despite my comprehension issues at times. My confusion around some of the terms and the world itself didn't really affect my enjoyment, and the ending has me picking up the next book right away.

Have you read this book or this series? Let me know what you think of it!

Review: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

★★★★☆ I am so happy to have finally read this book, and I am looking forward to continuing my J. R. R. Tolkien reads with the Lord of the Rings trilogy!

Full disclosure, I have attempted to read this book (and the Fellowship of the Ring) many, many times. Every time I’ve picked it up I have gotten about 20% of the way through and then given up. However, this time was different. I was looking for a new audiobook (I’m now on Scribd and I would definitely recommend it to all you audiobook lovers out there), and The Hobbit popped up on the home screen. I am so glad I decided to hit play, because this book was so wonderful (I know I am probably the very last person on earth to read this book).

I think the main thing I enjoyed about The Hobbit was the feeling that the narrator of the tale was talking right to me. The writing style was so captivating (although more so in the audiobook version for me), and it helps that the narrator, Andy Serkis, was absolutely brilliant. His Gollum is so good and very, very creepy (as it should be since he is the voice of Gollum in the movies!)

There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

I felt such a kinship with Bilbo and his conflicting desires to be on an adventure, and also be back at his cosy hobbit hole drinking tea and eating cake. I don’t think I have ever related to a character so strongly before, since I always want to be both exploring and adventuring, and also cosy and warm in the comfort of my own home. As you probably already know, Bilbo is joined by thirteen dwarves and the wizard Gandalf in his hobbit hole, and the adventure truly unfolds from there. Bilbo and his team come across goblins and elves and all sorts of magical, wondrous creatures, not to mention, the dragon Smaug. And of course, they get into all sorts of trouble and mishaps on their travels to the Mountain.

This is truly one of the most wholesome, and quite unexpected novels filled with a journey that keeps taking turns you don’t expect. If you’re like me and you’ve been putting off reading this book for no good reason, or the physical books aren’t for you, then I would definitely recommend the audiobook!

Have you read The Hobbit? Please do let me know your thoughts in the comments, or over on my Instagram @kell_read ✨✨

April Wrap Up 2022

The leaves are turning orange, the air in the morning is crisp and the fog is clinging on for longer and longer everyday. Autumn has finally, truly arrived and I am in my element. Autumn is my favourite season, cold nights, and warm days. The changing colours of the trees and the slow transition from dresses to sweaters. Unfortunately, I spent an entire week of this beautiful month in my room with covid, but this month we also added a new member of the family. Our beautiful puppy Maisy is now almost 12 weeks old and I love her with all my heart.

Since I spent so much time locked down with nothing much to do other than read and watch TV, I used the time to work through my every growing pile of books I’m currently reading. This month I finished 5 books, one audiobook and four paperbacks.

★★★★☆

The first book I finished was River Kings by Cat Jarman. I was so lucky to be given a copy of this book for review by Pegasus Books but I ended up going out and buying the paperback version of it before I had finished reading it! River Kings, written by bioarchaeologist Cat Jarman (who is also a field archaeologist who specialises in the Viking Period) takes a small carnelian bead found in the site of Repton and follows what may have been its journey through the Viking world all the way to Baghdad and India. Jarman works with DNA analysis, isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating of the archaeological finds to trace the Vikings from Britain, through Scandinavia and ultimately uncovers greater interaction and movement between the west and the east. This book was so well written and incredibly fascinating. I would recommend it to lovers of trade connections in the ancient world, those who find material culture theory fascinating and all lovers of the Vikings.

★★★☆☆.75

Next, I finished my audiobook of Fire by Kristin Cashore. This young adult series is nothing like I imagined it to be, but I am thoroughly enjoying listening to it. I found it a bit slow for the first few hours but once we were introduced to the other main characters of the story it really picked up the pace. I was initially sceptical of this sequel to Graceling because it follows the character of Fire who is what is known as a monster with red, pink and orange hair and who makes men and women lose their minds around her. She is a new character (as are most of the other characters introduced in this instalment), and we don’t hear anything of the characters from the previous book. It didn’t take long though for me to enjoy this part of the world and these new characters, although I didn’t end up enjoying it quite as much as I enjoyed Katsa’s story in Graceling.

★★★★☆

Book number three that I finished this month was House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas. By this time of the month I had contracted Covid so I had plenty of free time and just enough ability to focus to finish this mammoth book. One thing I MUST mention and that I didn’t realise in my first read of CC1 (because it was an audiobook) is the amount of mythology and ancient history from different cultures Maas has used in these stories. Midgard as the name of their planet, Hel as the dark realm, numerous gods and beings, Vanir, SPQM. I could go on! I loved being back in the world of Bryce, Hunt and Ruhn (especially since we got so much more from interesting side characters like Hypaxia, Ithan and Tharion). There was some great character development and although I knew there was some shady shit going on with the Asteri, this book just kept throwing curveballs that I didn’t see coming. I didn’t enjoy it as much as CC1 which is a bummer, and every now and then I had a ‘huh?’ moment where I feel like Maas’ writing was confusing, almost as if she forgot whose POV she was writing from. And that’s another thing, I love multiple POVs, this book included, but I feel like sometimes she just glided from one perspective to another and didn’t really make it obvious enough for it to not be confusing… if that makes sense?

★★★☆☆.75

You would not believe it but I finally finished Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb, and I have decided that I am going to keep on reading these books despite it taking me over 6 months to finish this book! This final instalment of the Farseer Trilogy was the longest and was oftentimes a bit repetitive and slow which was why it took me so long to finish. But once I got into the really juicy last third of the book I absolutely raced through it. I could not put it down. Robin Hobb’s world-building, character development and general fantasy writing ability is truly unseen anyplace else. Her prose is unique and you just can’t help but want Fitz to be happy and healthy at the end of everything he goes through. Less of a battle and action style fantasy is this a soft, political and intricate fantasy. I truly never saw the ending coming. One other highlight for me in this book is the friendship between the Fool and Fitz, and the companionship of Nighteyes.

★★★☆☆

My final read for this month was meant to be a buddy read but honestly, I had nothing else to do with my time so I just read the whole thing in two days, and that was Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. Despite not loving the Shadow and Bone series (I gave them all 3 or 3.5 ★) I came into this story with high hopes as a dark academia story about secret societies with ghosts set at Yale. However, I was left a little disappointed. This book had such potential, the premise sounds right up my alley but I think a combination of writing style, an unlikable main character and seemingly unnecessary trauma left me not quite satisfied with it. The story itself was interesting, with secret societies at Yale working will all sorts of magic and mystical things under the supervision of Lethe, students specifically chosen to keep the societies in line, but the writing style just wasn’t it for me. Not to mention the main character Alex (short for Galaxy) was unlikeable and flighty. Without a doubt, the supporting characters Darlington and Dawes were interesting and complex characters that I would have loved to learn more about. There are also a lot of trigger warnings needed for this book, and thanks to Samantha at Thoughtsontomes who provided this list on her Goodreads review — rape; murder; child molestation; physical and emotional abuse from partner; grooming; gore; possession; drug abuse; overdose; death of a friend. Please do make sure this book is for you before picking it up because honestly, some of this came out of nowhere. Overall the plot itself kept me interested enough to finish it and to want to read the sequel but it hasn’t become a favourite like I thought it would.

I would love to hear your thoughts on any of the books I read in April! What did you read this month? Any new favourites? Let me know in the comments or over on my Instagram @kell_read ✨

Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

★★★☆☆.5 | audiobook | book four of 2022

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is the first book in The Folk of the Air series. The story revolves around a mortal girl named Jude who lives in the world of Faerie. When she and her twin was seven, her mother and father were killed in front of them by her mothers ex-fling and the father to their older half sister Vivienne. He was also a prominent general in the High Court of Faerie. Jude grows up as a mortal in faerie, taking classes with the rest of the faerie gentry. She sees mortals as slaves, drugged to work until exhaustion consumes their mind and body, not to mention the threats right in front of her with her faerie school fellows. As Jude fights for a spot at the High Court, she is consumed with intrigues and deceptions, trickery and bloodshed.

I’m going to be completely honest with you, I didn’t even read the blurb of this book before jumping into it. I was looking for a relatively easy read to listen to, and this one came with good recommendations. I definitely enjoyed the book but not as much as I was hoping I would. There was also something a bit weird about the narration, the volume kept fluctuating and there were some really obvious cuts in the recording, some of which I literally went back and had to listen to again to make sure I was hearing it right. That being said, the narrator did a really wonderful job.

This book starts off with a bang since their parents are literally killed in the prologue I’m pretty sure, but then nothing really happens until part two of the book. You don’t realise that the whole of Part One is basically not necessary until you get into the intensity of the second part. Jude wants to be a knight in the High Court, and her sister Taryn wants to marry a faerie, they’re both trying to fit into Faerie in different ways, but I found Jude’s character a little wishy washy. She didn't feel like a solidified character with purpose behind her actions until Part Two, when I actually started liking her. In contrast, Taryn acted exactly as I expected she would the whole time. I don’t love her character, but I guess she serves her purpose, as do many of the cruel faeries Jude comes into contact with during the course of the book.

I loved the political intrigue of the book, and how although some of it felt quite obvious, there were still events and choices that surprised me. There is a really great set of unique characters in this book which made it an overall enjoyable read, leaving you with the sense that you only know the surface of each of these characters. I have seen Cardan’s name everywhere on instagram, and so far he is definitely an intriguing character that obviously has a lot more going for him than just a drunk, broody, elite faerie who often acts cruelly (but I’m assuming thats just a front for how tortured he actually is). I really liked the rivalry and the ever brewing tension between Jude and Cardan, and I am sure this is only going to increase in intensity as I keep reading. Another part of this story I particularly liked is the Court of Shadows, and the level of intricacy in the intrigues and court politics. I hope these only grow in the next books.

I have a feeling this series is only going to improve with the next books and I am looking forward to starting the next one. Have you read this book / this series? Let me know your thoughts in the comments or over on my Instagram @kell_read ✨

Review: Vardaesia and A Very Medoran Kaldoras Novella by Lynette Noni

Vardaesia ★★★★★ // A Very Medoran Kaldoras Novella ★★★★☆

Vardaesia

In this final instalment of The Medoran Chronicles by Lynette Noni, I was expecting heartache and incredibly high stakes and sadness and that is absolutely what I got. In this YA fantasy series we have been following Alex Jennings, a 16 year old girl from Earth who finds herself in a new world, Medora. Not only that, but she was chosen by the library at the school for gifted humans, Akarnae. In Medora there are humans, and there are also a bunch of other mortal races, there are immortal races, Draekons and even more world with even more immortal beings. Suffice to say, this series has absolutely everything you could want in a YA fantasy series. The first novel is definitely focussed on Akarnae and Alex settling in to her new world, finding friends and generally getting into trouble. As the books progress though, the plot deepens, the stories get more depth the characters get more fleshed out and it stops feeling like young YA. There is battles, tests and death but there is also banter, friendships and so much to make your heart warm.

There’s not a lot I can say about this book without spoiling something from the earlier books, so I’ll keep it short. This book takes us to a new world and introduces us to a new group of immortals. The challenges are at their most deadly for Alex, Bear, Jordan, DC, Kaiden and Declan and honestly, I couldn’t stop listening to this book. I was on the edge of my seat for 75% of this story, and so many things happened that I was unprepared for. This book and this series as a whole is fantastic, and it is up there with my favourite YA books/series of all time. I will definitely be reading this series and rereading it again and again for comfort and more self-inflicted heartache.

A Very Medoran Kaldoras

A Very Medoran Kaldoras is a bonus little novella that takes place just less than a year after the end of Vardaesia, and honestly, it’s just a little extra bonus scene to give us a glimpse into our favourite characters lives and how they’re spending the Kaldoras holidays. I have to warn you though - prior to reading this I saw something on Lynette Noni’s instagram saying that she had no plans to resolve the ending of this novella, so I truly think going into this little bonus story with the knowledge that it ends in a cliff hanger helps. I enjoyed it kore knowing that there was a potentially never to be mentioned again cliff hanger at the end of it. It’s still really cute and I would recommend reading it (it’s a free ebook!)

Have you read this series? If you have, please come and chat with me over on Instagram! I cannot stop gushing about it and I want to hear who your fave character is, your fave scene and your fave book from the series! ✨

Review: We Three Heroes by Lynette Noni

★★★☆☆.5 Do not read on if you haven’t read the first four books in the series! Although this won’t spoil We Three Heroes, it will spoil plot points from the first four books! If you’re thinking of skipping this before reading Vardaesia, don’t!

We Three Heroes by Lynette Nonis is book 4.5 in The Medoran Chronicles following Akarnae, Raelia, Draekora and Graevale. Once again, I’ve listened to the audiobook but I didn’t rate these narrators as much as I do the usual narrator (a reason for the lower rating since all of my ratings includes the book and my experience while reading it). Instead of following on from Graevale, We Three Heroes is comprised of three novellas, one from D.C.’s point of view, one from Jordan’s and one from Bears. I am a huge lover of multiple points of view, so getting an insight into each of these characters’ minds was such a gift! D.C.’s novella Crowns and Curses came first, and honestly, as much as I like her character, this novella is the reason I’ve rated this book less than the previous four. We get a good insight into D.C’s childhood, and why she was so unapproachable before she became friends with Alex and the boys at the end of Akarnae. I definitely enjoyed reading her character arc, and the events from her childhood that affected her time at Akarnae, but it was pretty long and became quite repetitive. Nevertheless, when her character gets to Akarnae the story picks up a bit, and you do get to understand that character a lot better, but it was definitely my least favourite novella of the three.

Jordan’s novella Scars and Silence gave me goosebumps more than once as I listened to how he deals with the absolute nightmare he had been living in. This story was raw and was focussed on Jordan’s healing process after being saved from Aven by Alex. It’s such a different experience reading some of the events we have read in previous books from the point of view of Jordan, but god this was a really lovely read. How Hunter was able to help Jordan start to deal with his experience, and the way he and D.C. worked towards becoming a couple was so beautiful, and also so heartwrenching to read. Truly a wonderful addition to the series.

The final novella Hearts and Headstones from Bear’s point of view was my favourite but also the one that was the most painful. Reading the events of Graevale from Bear’s point of view was painful - especially when you know what’s coming (if you’ve read it, you know what’s up). But, seeing a bit more of Declan was such a happy surprise, and once again, just getting to see events from previous books from the point of another character was wonderful - especially getting to learn more about how Bear was helping Fitz with his secret project. I just can’t seem to express my love for multiple POV’s but also, when authors give such loveable and dynamic supporting characters a chance to shine.