Review: The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman

The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman

Series: The Wolf King #1

Publication date: November 25th, 2025

Pages: 496

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

When a princess is kidnapped by an alpha, war rages between the humans and the wolves. But soon, forbidden attraction starts to grow... 

Princess Aurora longs to escape the castle and the marriage that has been arranged for her.

But on the night before her wedding, at a dog fight where captured werewolves are made to fight for sport, she spares the life of a young wolf. It puts her on the radar of the powerful alpha who was going to kill him. And it changes everything.

That night, when the alpha escapes, he kidnaps her and takes her to the rugged lands north of the border--where the once warring werewolf clans are beginning to unite. He thinks that she is the key to winning the war against the humans.

Only, as they spend time around one another, forbidden attraction starts to grow. And as Aurora learns that not all wolves are bad, the alpha discovers that she is in danger from both his enemies, and those he once considered friends.

With monsters on both sides, a bloodthirsty war between humans and wolves raging, and undeniable passion growing between them--will their story end in love? Or tragedy?

And will Aurora ever get home?

Does she even want to?

Available at:

Story:

The thing I love about romantasy reads is that the worlds are always so vastly different. Within Lauren Palphreyman's we encounter a society where the humans and werewolves are vying races who want to win control of the country they live on but who have been divided between the Northern wolves and the Southern humans. Both sides have their good people and utterly evil. However for me personally I find the humans much harsher than their wolf counterparts. They don't just kill warrior wolves they capture them and subject them to things called "dog fights" where they must fight each other to stay alive another day in their captivity. The story winds around the two main characters, one human, one wolf, and shows the differing societies in drastic imagery. The human world that is a mask of superiority and decorum who hide their brutality behind a prim accent and haughty indifference. The wolves with their feral nature who have to take care to not let their wolves lead them down the road into neanderthal territory. Watching both Aurora and Callum adjust to Aurora being in the land of the wolves captured by Callum to be traded for something his people need was an interesting dynamic. Can a wolf be tamed or a lady be truly free?

Characters:

• Aurora - I will admit it here and now, Aurora annoyed me to no end. She was so determined to not see any other side of things that she would intentionally put herself in situations that warranted her being rescued. Callum ran himself ragged trying to keep her safe while he figured out if he wanted to use her as a pawn for trade or if he had other feelings for her. All the while, Princess was too busy looking down her nose at all of the wolves to really appreciate her front row seat in how the other side lives. I will say that at least she fought back if she was challenged, but even then she still needed someone to finish the job for her. I think the author made her far too delicate for my liking but I am willing to see if she grows in the sequel book.

• Callum - Callum, while charming and protective, was a bit too golden retriever to be seen as an alpha wolf. When I think of someone in that role they are respected, admired and bowed before. People who plot against them do not see the light of the next day once they are discovered. But with Callum he has such wide-eyed wonder when someone stabs him in the back. He lets his feelings for Aurora cloud his judgment and he makes me want to rip out my hair. I want him to grow a back bone. He was too soft to be an alpha. He needs some attitude.

• Blake - Blake made me curious. He had this dark and mysterious energy about him that made me really confused as to whether he was an enemy or a potential third edge to a love triangle. In one breath he is protecting Aurora (because god forbid she fight for herself) and the next he is all but betraying her for his own agenda. He seems like one of those characters who is always 3 steps ahead of whoever he is plotting against and with the conclusion of this book, that is very apparent. I kind of had a soft spot for Blake though. He is morally gray in all ways but I kind of want him to lighten as Callum darkens to make the male leads much more balanced.

Writing:

I liked the way Lauren Palphreyman wrote her story. I think that she weaved it very well and it did keep me guessing as to what would happen next. If the characters were a bit more likeable then I would have absolutely nothing to complain about. I think that the way she makes her characters speak, combining a Scottish feel to the wolves while having the humans seem more British in nature, was something borrowed from books like Outlander. Not a bad choice, but one that has been seen before by me countless times. 

Overall:

I liked the story and the world building. I liked the idea of a war between humans and wolves with humans not being entirely outdone by the preternatural creatures. I would have liked more from the characters. Aurora needs some grit, Callum needs a backbone, and Blake needs some heart. Accomplishing those things would make this a 5-star read for me.

Review: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Blood and Ash #1

Publication date: May 25th, 2021

Pages: 496

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

A Maiden...

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy's life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

A Duty...

The entire kingdom's future rests on Poppy's shoulders, something she's not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

A Kingdom...

Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

Available at:

Story:

This is one of those books that you get spoiled for you easily as time goes by. Luckily I didn't retain a lot of what I may have seen on TikTok since the book released so I was able to give the story a fair shake. I always like to find a comparison so that anyone who is curious about the book has a reference point but this one was unlike any that come to mind for me. You have a race war essentially set in a fantasy world where two groups have pushed the narrative that they are the right side and the other the wrong for so long that the truth becomes unknown entirely. Vampires are prevalent but what kind? The ones that burn in the sunlight? The ones who are ravenous blood fiends? Perhaps the ones who have the intoxicating bite that makes their victims experience pleasure over pain? Yes to all three but they are all different races instead of being one singular breed of vampire. That is what I found fascinating about the story. Blood seemed to be at the forefront of every single person's mind (except for the poor clueless humans) but at varying degrees. There were those lost to their bloodlust who were more animal than human, others who were ever thirsty to the point of bad decisions in need of hiding, and those who had a well established system of feeding that harmed very little. But which one fell into which category between the Ascended, the Craven, and the Atlantians? I found the plot and the setting of the story to be fascinating. Leaving the character's completely out of it, I think it was a story that unlike any I had read before and that is almost an impossibility for me these days. It is a romantasy rooted in war, love, and the pursuit of the truth at any costs. 

Character(s):

• Poppy - When she was first introduced as the Maiden and I saw how subservient she was with most of the Ascended, I was worried she was going to be another powderpuff character that was going to need to be saved at every turn. But that opinion evaporated the first time I saw Poppy fight. She was not a victim. She was not submissive. She was a force to be reckoned with and someone who could take care of herself if she needed to. She didn't want the future that had been laid out before her. She just wanted to live a life of pleasure and fun and substance. She was not permitted to have a life and that only made her crave it more. I loved her banter with Hawke and how she was willing to throw a punch at his face at the first chance she got. Hawke never failed to comment on how violent she was and I loved that about her. She was a feral tiger disguised as a house cat. I loved everything about her character.

• Hawke - The cocky attitude on this one! Hell's bells, he was so sure of himself to the point of driving me just as crazy as he did Poppy. There was always something about him that I didn't entirely trust but I liked how he treated Poppy and hoped for the best. The twist in this book that features his character makes all the sense in the world but it still broke my heart. I wanted to throw a punch at him alongside Poppy but at the same time I couldn't help but absolutely adore his character. I am rooting for him even as he continues to try to win Poppy over. But I have a feeling that we have only cracked the surface of who he is to become.

Writing:

I have read a number of Jennifer L. Armentrout's books and her writing never ceases to amaze me. She has a way of drawing her readers in and painting a world of fantasy that feels entirely immersive. In "From Blood and Ash" we see her creating a society of different races of vampires and how they battle for supremacy. Between the banter of the characters, the world building, and the uniquely individual world she created, I can't find a single thing to complain about with her writing.

Overall:

I am angry with myself for putting off reading this book for so long. It has sat on my shelf staring at me for a while. The world building was brilliant, the characters were charismatic, and the love story was sensational. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and become even more immersed in Poppy and Hawke's world even more.

Review: Princess of Blood by Sarah Hawley

Princess of Blood by Sarah Hawley

Series: The Shards of Magic #2

Publication date: September 30th, 2025

Pages: 512

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

Once a servant, now a princess, a young woman thrust into power challenges everything about the underground Fae realm in the next installment of Sarah Hawley's new romantasy series.

Kenna Heron is still reeling from her lover's betrayal and the threat of an impending war. With only her two closest--and most powerless--friends by her side, she must navigate the treacherous politics of Mistei while coming to terms with her new identity as not just Fae, but princess of her own house.

With the king dead, three candidates are vying for the right to wear the crown next. A princess who claims the throne as her birthright and two rebel princes, both of whom are depending on the support of Blood House to break the stalemate between them. Old loyalties fray as new, dangerous alliances form, and Kenna finds herself caught in a web of violence, deceit, and unexpected passion. 

Kenna has the power to shape Mistei's future... but someone's willing to kill to make sure she never gets the chance.

Available at:

Story:

I was entranced by the world that Sarah Hawley created in her first book of the series Servant of Earth. So much so that when I was finished with it I had to jump immediately into the sequel even though the series is unfinished so far. The world of the fae being divided into houses that are lead by a singular prince or princess was a genius decision to go forward with. In this installment we got a crash course in what it meant to have either of the titles. As Kenna is now the Princess of Blood house she is now having to show what real leadership should look like. But everywhere she turns there are enemies. Some want her dead for personal reasons while others want her exterminated like vermin for having originally been human. The story combines aspects of political struggles with the ebb and flow of the laws of a new land. Kenna is learning and learning fast throughout the book but when she has to make a decision between an ex-lover and someone who may be better suited for the role of King, she is torn. I loved watching the indecision sit heavy on her shoulders while she also learned more about herself, her house, her friends, and who she could trust in the end. This story had me just as enthralled as the first book.

Character(s):

• Kenna - Kenna always had backbone but she was not allowed to show it when she was merely a servant of one of the houses in her new fae ruled existence. However, when she becomes the Princess of Blood house and suddenly has a say in who replaces the tyrannical king that she dethroned she suddenly has to appear to be made of steel. While her heart shows in the way she welcomes the unaffiliated, the discarded, and the fearful members of other houses and beyond she still goes toe-to-toe with some of the worst creatures she could ever encounter. Throughout all this she has to decide whether her ex-lover, Drustan, who showed the lengths at which he would go to win, or the leader of Void house with a bad reputation and Kallen's, her ex-blackmailer, brother, Hector. Both of them have their arguments to make for position but like most politics it is hard to know who to trust. Kenna had the perfect balance of vulnerability and strength that made her an idyllic main character.

• Drustan - I was rooting so hard for Drustan in the first book. I thought he was dangerous and volatile but in the best ways for Kenna. But after the circumstances of the previous book, Servant to Earth, I no longer feel that spark of appreciation for the character. Whether it be true or not, I feel like Drustan is a snake just waiting to strike. That if Kenna bears her throat to him again that he will crush her without a second thought. If it got him closer to his goal of being the King then he would stop at nothing. I want to believe he is redeemable but I worry he is not. 

• Kallen - I had a soft spot for Kallen from the beginning. When Kenna pursued Drustan I shrugged and thought it was an okay match but I secretly hoped that Kallen spoke up and said what he needed to say to win her over completely. Kallen's house was picked well. He is a shadow of a man who is the dark and brooding type. But underneath he felt like a character with heart that has been hurt too often along the span of his life. I loved getting to see a new side of him that I don't think I would have seen if he had remained Kenna's blackmailer.

Writing:

There is absolutely nothing negative I can say about Sarah Hawley's writing. She weaves world building with beatific depictions of each of the house elements. Her characters are gritty with teeth but also with a soft underbelly. At least the good ones are. She makes her characters likeable and that is a hard feat for a lot of authors to accomplish. There were moments of humor where I couldn't hold back the smile as I gobbled up every last word of her books. 

Overall:

If you have skipped all else of this review, here is where I will reiterate: Sarah Hawley is a seamstress of romantasy tales who weaves together a tapestry of wonder and excitement rooted in love, power, and the pursuit of equality that we are sorely lacking in today's world. Princess of Blood was the second book in a series that I am fast growing to love.

Review: Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley

Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley

Series: The Shards of Magic #1

Publication date: November 12th, 2024

Pages: 464
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

In the underground Fae realm, only the strongest and most ruthless have power--but a young human woman forced into a life of servitude is about to change everything.

Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild--some say half feral--but she'll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.

Trapped as a servant in the faeries' underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn't, the punishment is death--for both mistress and servant.

With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion's leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she's willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.

Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will... but even that may not be enough.

Available at:

Story:

I am always a sucker for a story that has a house system that reminds of me Harry Potter's houses. This book was no exception. It had houses based off the Fae house's elements: Earth, Fire, Void, Light, Illusion, and Blood. I loved watching Kenna put aside her own fear of the unknown and dive head first into the ritual that her best friend was going on to the Fae kingdom. Her character was made of stronger things than any other character in the cast. She was willing to put her life at risk for the people she cared about and tried to walk the razor's edge of remaining loyal to her house but also to her heart even if she may be trusting the wrong people. The rebellion seemed like it was falling apart as more and more fae and underfae were killed when found in connection with it. I liked the ACOTAR-esque live triangle even if I have to say I was a hundred percent Team Rhys--er, I mean Kellan, from the start. The author was able to make her world something that was never lacking in mysteries and wonders. I ate up every single aspect that Kenna uncovered throughout the story. I don't think there is anything that he author could have done to make any of it any better because it was already so thoroughly thought out that I can't offer any advice on changes.

Character(s):

There are a lot of characters in the story but I will stick to the main protagonists.

• Kenna - She was the strongest female protagonist I have seen in years of reading. She was able to mitigate her new life as a servant of Earth house where she was expected to help her mistress pass her immortality trials without anyone finding out or be killed. While hanging in there with her mistress, Lara, she also caught the eye of the Fire Prince who wanted her to help him plot a rebellion against the Fae's tyrannical king, Osric. And then on top of that she was meant to pass along information to the Void Prince who seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with the Fire Prince Kenna is growing closer and closer to. Kenna had a lot of people all depending on her while also threatening her well-being. Add in her grief over the loss of her best friend and her new life amongst the Fae she is astoundingly strong. She came from nothing but found a way to roll with the punches and keep herself alive despite it all. Hopefully her strong morals and willingness to see past social ranks will rub off on the stobby Fae.

• Drustan - The egomaniac Fire Prince who wants to lead a rebellion against the king and needs Kenna's help. I wanted to like him. I wanted to root for the couple. They seemed into each other but there was something about Drustan that reminded me of Tamsyn in ACOTAR. How the character could go from sweet and charming to completely cold and willing to step over anyone he needed to to get where he wanted... I was not a fan of any of that. I had a strong feeling that Kenna was investing far too much of her heart and Drustan was going to break it. He was one of the characters where you are meant to feel questionably about him, otherwise a love triangle would never be intriguing.

• Kellan - Tall, dark and handsome with a stoic tone and a dangerous smirk. He becomes Kenna's shadow despite him demanding she finds things out for him and report back. He seems to always know what Kenna is going to bring to him and that makes me think that the only reason he is even involving her is because it gives him an excuse to be around her. I think she interests him and I think that just means he has really good taste. I would like to see her with Kellan over Drustan to be honest. Darkness for her own savior mentality. Opposites that become harmony. 

Writing:

I can't find anything wrong with the way, Sarah Hawley wrote. If anything I was awed by how spectacular her vocabulary was. To be able to actually find words that I don't recognize with the amount of reading I do made me enjoy it even more. She exacted a perfect balance of comedy, drama, action, and romance that weaved a tapestry around me as a reader and thoroughly engulfed me. I almost wish there were some typos or questionable story structure that I could harp on so I didn't continue to only be able to come up with compliments for the author. 

Overall:

I feel like I keep stumbling across absolute stellar reads without even trying. The amount of 5-star reads I have had recently have been impressive and this book is amongst those others. The setting, the storytelling, the characters, the factors of the world created, the drama, heartbreak, love, and heat was almost too much good for one book. I was overwhelmed with the tapestry of the Shards of Magic's first book and cannot wait to read the next one.

 

Review: All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata

Publication date: January 30th, 2024

Pages: 606

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

The people we lose take a part of us with them... but they leave a part of themselves with us too.

Aurora De La Torre, or Ora to her friends, knows moving back to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a place that was once home and is now full of bittersweet memories of her late mother, isn't going to be easy. Starting your whole life over probably isn't supposed to be.

But after breaking up with her longtime, famous musician boyfriend, hiding out in a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart. And checking out her landlord who lives across the driveway just might cure it, too.

Only Tobias Rhodes didn't rent out the apartment to her, rather it was his teenage son, Amos. Fiercely protective of his family and distrusting of strangers, gruff and grumpy Rhodes initially keeps little miss sunshine Ora at a distance. But over days and weeks, long hikes and fireside chats, Aurora breaks down his walls and soon an unbreakable friendship blossoms into a once-in-a-lifetime love.

Available at:

Story:

Mariana Zapata has a way of creating these worlds that seem so utterly unique from any of her books but they all have the same comedic timing and easy flow that makes them obviously one of her works. Watching a young woman try to pick up the pieces after a breakup and try to rekindle the connection she had with her deceased mother while dealing with a silver fox that wants away from her as quickly as possible embodies the perfect balance of grumpy/sunshine romance. The beatific little down that Aurora finds herself in after a life of living in the shadows of her rockstar boyfriend was perfect for her and set the foundation for a light and fluffy romance novel with a little bit of mournful edge that makes a reader laugh between the tears soaking their cheeks. I had a little bit of trouble figuring out the ghosts from Aurora's past suddenly coming around when she finds her footing within her new home. I feel like the reasons for their sudden appearances was a little shaky and it made me feel like the author was trying to make a square peg fit in a round hole. They needed to be there to add drama but the reasoning the author chose for their appearances was a little unusual. It caused me to side-eye the plot points for a moment or ten. If the connection between Aurora and Tobias wasn't so absolutely droolworthy the rating of the story might have suffered for that reason alone. I have read a few of Zapata's stories and I know how tightly she can wind the knots of a good plot, this one seems like it could easily unravel and that makes one a bit off kilter the entire time they are reading.

Character(s):

• Aurora - I liked how carefree and indulgent the character seemed to be. She was about as sunny a sunshine character as you could get. Not many things got her down and when they did it was like the storm clouds had settled over the entire fictional world. There were points where I was able to see the heart of Aurora and it was beautiful to witness. She was such a genuine character that even when she did something wrong I was desperately trying to make excuses for her so that I didn't have to admit that the character had messed up. Aurora felt like the best friend everyone hopes to have at least once in her life.

• Tobias - I knew he was meant to be the grumpy man that Aurora had to earn the trust of to get to open up but, boy, did Tobias make it difficult for her to understand what he was feeling for her and accept that his sallow expressions were products of her doing. He had been hurt in the past and made quick judgments of Aurora that I could understand, but when he was being nasty to her for no reason except that she existed I wanted to watch her find someone better. He didn't deserve the sunshine that Zapata had created! He was being a grade-A asshole! But... the softer moments he had made him potentially salvageable. I was dying for them to get together and his grumpy attitude was ruining things for me. I was frustrated! But he eventually worked his way to where he needed to be emotionally. 

Writing:

There were a few moments within the writing that I found to be a little oddly written but overall I think it accomplished what it was supposed to. Like I said before about some of the reasoning using for some of the antagonists was a little weak but that wasn't in the practical sense of the writing. Instead I found Zapata was able to write in a way that a reader could relax into and not have to exert their brains too much to follow the dialog and story. With adulting the way it is sometimes it's nice to have books you can shut your chaotic brain off and just relax into a lightly humor story of growth and finding love where you least expect it.

Overall:

I will always have a soft spot for a male lead that is a silver fox. So often the main characters are Hollywood level handsome instead of the classically rugged appearance. That coupled with a female main character who is tough as nails but hides it easily behind effervescent smiles and a big heart. This was a great light read that would go well with a warm cup of coffee and a cozy blanket while sitting out on the porch.