YA fantasy

Review: The Empress of Time (The Keeper of the Night #2) by Kylie Lee Baker

~ megs14malloy

The Empress of Time (The Keeper of Night, #2)The Empress of Time by Kylie Lee Baker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Empress of Time is the conclusion to Kylie Lee Baker’s The Keeper of the Night duology. This story follows Ren Scarborough, who is half-British Reaper, half-Japanese Shinigami.

In the first book, Ren and her half-brother, Neven, fled London for Japan, where Ren hoped to learn more about her mother and her Shinigami roots.

Once there, Ren was given a difficult quest by the Goddess of Death. She needed to find and eliminate three dangerous Yokai demons.

Along with her brother and a new friend, Hiro, Ren’s quest kept me glued to the pages. Death work is difficult business. It’s fast-paced with extremely high-stakes. Over the course of the first novel, I became easily attached to this group of characters.

Additionally, the first book had a fairly earth-shattering conclusion, so I have been anxiously awaiting this second installment.

In The Empress of Time, Ren has now been ruling the Japanese Underworld as the Goddess of Death for the past decade. She is no longer the same conflicted girl who fled the streets of London all those years ago.

Now Ren has received startling news that her past has come back to haunt her though. There are British Reapers approaching the shores of Japan. They’re here for Ren, for vengeance.

Ren seeks help and is again sent out on what seems to be an impossible quest. This time she must find and retrieve a magical sword said to have been missing for thousands of years.

With Hiro gone, Ren is joined this time around by the moon god Tsukuyomi, Hiro’s brother, on her mission. Together the two race throughout the country trying to find the object they seek before time runs out for Ren.

As mentioned above, I have been really excited to get this second book. It was just as intriguing as the first one. I was a little surprised by the huge time jump, however. I was sort of anticipating this would pick up right where the first book left off, but that wasn’t the case.

It did take me a little bit to come to terms with that.

As with the first book, Kylie Lee Baker really succeeds with the dark, beautiful imagery she is able to conjure up with this. And when I say dark, I mean it.

There’s a lot of death, mutilation, even the occasional consumption of body parts. It gets bloody, dangerous and gruesome, but we love to see that in a Fantasy.

I loved the inclusion of so many elements from Japanese folklore and myth. The world is well-constructed and worked really well over the course of this story.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this was how Baker kept the themes from the first book alive. For example, in the first book there’s a big focus on Ren’s heritage and her inner conflict over being half-British Reaper and half-Japanese Shinigami.

For Ren, she never felt like she belonged in London and she was in fact treated like an outsider by the other Reapers.

In this book, even though Ren has found a bit more peace with who she is, she still doesn’t feel like she has a true place she belongs. Particularly at the start of this.

So, bringing the Reapers to Japan and now having the Shinigami battle on her behalf, it was like the two sides of her being having an external conflict, instead of just the inner one from the first book. I am most likely explaining this terribly, but I found it really interesting.

This story was still about Ren searching for the place she truly belonged, but the playing field and the actors were so much larger in scope than in the first book. There has been a great evolution to Ren’s character, but she is still a character in deep need of finding greater meaning for herself.

With that in mind, I loved how this concluded. The final little section was the icing on the cake. A conclusion that seems fitting for the life that Ren lived.

I definitely recommend this to fans of Dark Fantasy, Japanese-Inspired Fantasy and classic quest tales. Kylie Lee Baker really knows how to wrap it up. This was a beautiful finale for this lush story.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Inkyard Press and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I had a lot of fun with this duology and definitely look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

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Review: All of Our Demise (All of Us Villains #2) by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

~ megs14malloy

All of Our Demise (All of Us Villains, #2)All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All of Our Demise is the finale to the All of Us Villains duology.

This Dark YA Fantasy, featuring a magical competition to the death, is penned by the dream duo of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman.

If you haven’t read the first book, please proceed with caution. There may be some things mentioned in this review that some would consider spoilers.

I will not be hiding them.

After the conclusion of Book 1, the limits of the tournament are beginning to erode. The status quo shaken.

The public is now more involved with the process than ever before, with Reporters flocking to the historic battlegrounds, turning the pain and misery of the Champions into entertaining fodder for everyone else.

It’s basically the Capital during the Hunger Games. The magical contestants are bona fide celebs.

Additionally, a dead boy has returned, now influencing the tournament and out of nowhere a new champion has entered the ranks, looking to dismantle the tradition entirely.

The champions end up divided into two groups: those who wish to proceed as normal and those who wish to break the curse, thus ending the tournament forever.

This book was freaking intense. I reread the first book, All of Us Villains, just prior to starting this and I am so glad I did.

This is quite a detailed world and it is very fast-paced. Therefore, I have a tendency to race along, excited to get to the conclusion of the action. Occasionally this causes me to forget fine details.

The first book is really where we are learning the bulk of background on our main characters and their families. I was super glad to have that refresher before getting into this one.

Luckily, I loved that one so much and really had fun revisiting the story. This installment builds beautifully off of everything that occurred there. It was a seamless transition from one book to the next; very well done.

I loved how in this one, our main characters shift themselves into essentially two opposing teams. There are those who want to end the tournament and those, mainly those whose families have gained the most from the tradition, who want things to remain as they are.

This seems relatable to the real world, doesn’t it?

We do follow the same characters here as we did in the first book. I was glad for that. I was a little concerned we were going to move on to new perspectives, as sometimes happens. I’m glad the authors stuck with the characters we already know and love.

I did see so much character growth for each of these mains. As they interacted with one another more, it helped to reveal a deeper side to their personal wants and motivations. There were some great arcs; particularly for me, Allistair and Gavin.

I think this is such a fun duology, dripping with dark atmosphere, engaging characters and non-stop action.

My head was left spinning. There was so much covered in this book alone. Overall, a great continuation, with a more than satisfying conclusion!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Teen and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I seriously hope this isn’t the last collab we see from Foody and Herman. All of Our Demise releases tomorrow, Tuesday, August 30, 2022.

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Review: Bright We Burn (The Conqueror’s Saga #3) by Kiersten White

~ megs14malloy

Bright We Burn (The Conqueror's Saga #3)Bright We Burn by Kiersten White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bright We Burn is the third and final book in Kiersten White’s sweeping YA-series, The Conqueror’s Saga.

I bought this entire trilogy back in 2018 and she has stood quietly, yet beautifully, on my shelves, unread, for all these years. I picked up the first book on a whim, And I Darken, last month when I started my TBR-Haul Project.

The goal of this self-created project is simply to get me to read some of the backlist titles that I own. And I Darken was the first book of the project and I’m so glad it was.

I had such a successful reading experience with that book and consequently binged the rest of the series.

I found the world White created over the course of this series completely immersive. I was transported to the Ottoman Empire era and I found it to be such a refreshing, captivating, mysterious, yet brutal, setting.

The characters, particularly our main characters Lada, Radu and Mehmed, were each so fleshed out and distinct. Over the course of the series I became so attached to them and invested in their lives. I was like a helicopter mom circling them; especially Lada.

Lada was my favorite character. I loved her strength and determination. I felt like White wrote her really well. It was easy to understand her motivations and as hard as she was, you could tell that it was because she was essentially traumatized from her childhood.

She pushed everyone away, only keeping her country in her heart, that way no one could break it. I felt for her. Additionally, she’s a complete and total badass.

After returning to her home country, Lada uses a thousand stakes to send a message to her rivals. This one would never go down without a fight.

Radu grew so much in this one as well. It took a lot to get him to this place, but I think he finally is able to gain some sort of peace, or at least understanding, in his life that was satisfying to see.

He was a sweet baby bird that I want to protect throughout this beginning of this series. In this book, it didn’t feel as much like that. He really came into his own and although not a perfect situation, we love to see the growth.

Overall, White sent me on a tremendous journey with these characters. I seriously haven’t been this emotional at the close of a series in a long, long time. We’re talking actually tears, folks.

Kiersten White has destroyed me. I may never fully recover.

I’ve now read 9-books from this author and I’ll tell you, she’s a heavy hitter in my book.

I will continue to pick up anything she writes and I recommend you do too!

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Review: The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

~ megs14malloy

The Drowned WoodsThe Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Drowned Woods was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022. This YA Fantasy novel is a companion to Emily Lloyd-Jones 2019-release, The Bone Houses.

Full transparency, I hadn’t even read The Bone Houses until this month. The reason I was so excited for The Drowned Woods was based on its synopsis alone. It sounded absolutely captivating to me.

Spoiler Alert: It so totally was!!

Once I picked this up, it was all I could think about. I absolutely adore this story with my whole heart and soul. Lloyd-Jones swept me away into another world.

This story follows 18-year old Mererid, ‘Mer’, who is the last living water diviner. Her powers being known, she was wrenched from her family in order to go live in the castle of Prince Garanhir and be bound into his service.

She’s made to do terrible things, such as finding the wells of Garanhir’s enemies so that he can poison them. This results in the deaths of many, many innocent people.

Mer is devastated to have been a part of this. Luckily, she is able to slip out of the Prince’s grasp and flee. After that, avoiding recapture is her only focus.

Mer’s able to fly under the radar working as a barmaid. That is until the day her old handler, Renfrew, the Prince’s ex-Spy Master, approaches her with an opportunity to bring the Prince down.

He proposes a heist of sorts to steal an important magical artifact that in a sense secures the Prince’s control over their kingdom. Mer is intrigued and swayed by her old mentor. They can actually do this, make Garanhir pay for what he put so many innocent people through.

Together they assemble a team including a fae-cursed young man, the lady of thieves and an adorably-loyal corgi named Trefor. They were all brought onto the mission because of the special skills they each portrayed.

This crew, I loved watching them all come together and as they set off on their quest, I knew this story was going to be a slam dunk for me.

I loved everything about it. The world creation was fantastic, the magic system was easy to understand, yet intriguing, and the character interactions and motivations were so well done.

Mer, Fane, the fae-cursed young man, and Trefor in particular were so well developed. I loved watching their relationship build into what it ultimately becomes.

Mer’s character arc was so beautiful, heart-wrenching and ultimately satisfying. I adored her and her free will, determination and strength in face of set-backs.

As you get to the end, the truth behind the connection to The Bones Houses is revealed. I cannot even tell you what that moment was like, reading that reveal.

My heart swelled; insta-tears. It made me want to reread TBH knowing what I know now, even though I just read it! What a moment. It was so good.

Thank you to the publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I appreciate it so much and have no doubt this is going to be on my Favorites list for 2022!!

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Review: The Bones Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

~ megs14malloy

The Bone HousesThe Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After the death of her parents, 17-year old, Ryn, is left to run the family’s graveyard, along with her brother and sister.

This may seem a simple task to you, they’re gravediggers. How challenging can it be?

In their remote village of Colbren, however, the dead oftentimes don’t remain dead; not exactly.

Allegedly, due a decades-old curse, the dead in Colbren can reanimate themselves and begin to walk again amongst the living. These walking dead are known as bone houses.

For the most part, Ryn is used to dealing with this issue. They don’t cause too much trouble. They seem to stick to the forest and are fairly easily cut down if need be.

Recently though, the behavior of the bone houses is changing. They’re venturing further into the village and attacking with a new ferocity. Ryn can’t quite figure it out.

Around this same time, a mysterious young man, a mapmaker by trade, has come to the village. Could the two things possibly be connected?

Ryn is drawn to this new man, Ellis, and the two begin to get to know one another. It turns out Ellis was found in the very mountains that border the village. He is on a search for his parents. He wants to know where he came from.

They both have mysteries to solve and there’s no better way to solve a mystery than going on a quest. Any Reader knows that!

Thus, Ryn and Ellis, along with Ryn’s very faithful goat, head off deep into the heart of the mountains, where they hope to finally learn the truth behind the curse and their own lives.

The Bone Houses is a highly creative and engaging YA Dark Fantasy story. I loved the characters and the escalation of the plot over the course of the book.

It’s hard to believe a story following a gravedigger and the walking dead could be beautiful, but in the capable hands of Emily Lloyd-Jones apparently it is.

The writing is lyrical and compelling, with just the right amount of humor, romance and horror elements woven throughout.

I fell in love with both Ryn and Ellis, but really it was Ryn’s family goat who stole the show. We stan an animal companion element in any Dark Fantasy story, but it was particularly well done here.

Additionally, I love a quest. It was fun to go along with Ryn and Ellis on their journey, as they began to piece together the truth behind the bone houses the intensity of the story continued to amp up.

I also liked the secrecy and reveals revolving around Ellis. He had a super fascinating backstory and I loved how Lloyd-Jones chose to bring that all to light. There were some great reveals.

I picked this up in anticipation of this author’s upcoming release, The Drowned Woods, which is releasing next Tuesday, August 16, 2022.

The Drowned Woods, although following a whole new set of characters, is said to be set in the same world as this novel. I wanted to be sure to have the backdrop of The Bone Houses prior to picking that one up.

Also, I have heard incredible things about this book, so I definitely wanted to get to it anyway.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this story and am happy that i made time for it!

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Review: Now I Rise (The Conqueror’s Saga #2) by Kiersten White

~ megs14malloy

Now I Rise (And I Darken Series, #2)Now I Rise by Kiersten White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Now I Rise was book #2 for my TBR-Haul Project, which I discuss in detail in my review for the first book in this trilogy, And I Darken.

After completing that 1st-book, I knew I had to continue on ASAP. This is not the type of story you can walk away from.

I became fairly obsessed with the characters in the first book, but now I am properly obsessed.

I’m loving the vibes I am getting from Lada. Her self-proclaimed dragon-status is so friggen apt. She’s serving Red Wedding realness, that’s for sure.

Radu, as well, has captured my heart. He’s such a sweet baby bird, underestimated by many, who I want to protect with every fiber of my being.

As a second book, this was one of the best I have ever read as far as continuing to expand the world and never-ceasing tension found therein.

I don’t want to go into the plot too much as it may spoil the previous book. However, I will mention that after the conclusion of the first book, our three main actors, Lada, Radu and Mehmed, all find themselves in different places, pursuing their own goals.

I have read other books where part of the magic is having characters together. If there are ever times in the narrative where they are all apart, it doesn’t seem to work as well.

That is absolutely not the case here. I loved watching these characters move out on their own and continue to grow. Lada and Radu, though raised together, are on such separate trajectories; they want completely different things, but if you think about it, for the same reasons.

It’s such an interesting dynamic between the siblings.

This setting as well, with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire as a back-drop, is absolutely fascinating. I’m not sure how historically accurate it is, but from what I have read, it sounds like the author really did her research and tried to handle it with the upmost care.

It was a super refreshing, historical, real-world setting that made everything happening feel that much more intense and believable.

If you enjoy stories with a rich historical setting, a ton of political machinations and brutal, heart-rending characters, you have to pick up this series. It may be backlist, but it is very much worth your time.

I am so excited to see how this all wraps up!!!

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Review: And I Darken (Conquerer’s Saga #1) by Kiersten White

~ megs14malloy

And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga, #1)And I Darken by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

And I Darken is the perfect example of why you should never neglect your backlist!

Listen, I know it’s tough with new releases being shoved down your throat week after week; it can be extremely distracting. Trust, I get that.

With this being said, there are some real gems out there just lurking on your bookshelves. I hauled this beautiful baby in March of 2018. 2018!!!

I’m so glad I finally picked this up. I’m currently obsessed with the world White created within these pages and picked up the second book immediately upon finishing this one.

For those unaware, which I assume is practically everyone, this is the first book in my TBR-Haul Project.

Basically, I have a problem with buying a bunch of books that I never get around to reading. I’m sure many of you can relate. I finally decided enough was enough. It’s time to start putting a dent in that ever-growing stack.

In my Reading Journal, I have a page dedicated to each month’s hauled books. I am starting at the beginning, in March 2018, and selecting one book from each month until I get all the way to July 2022.

In total, if I cycle through once, there will be at least 52-books included in this project. That’s my goal. If it is successful, we’ll see if I want to continue with it.

Out of the unread books that I hauled in that first month of my recorded hauls, March of 2018, And I Darken still held the most interest for me. I’ve heard a lot about this series and it seems that many Readers with taste similar to my own have really enjoyed it.

I’m so glad I decided to start with this one. I feel like with it, I have set myself up for success with this project.

In this story we meet brother and sister pair, Lada and Radu, when they are just small children. From there we get insight into some formative moments of their lives as they move towards their teenage years.

Lada is the older of the two and has a fierce personality. I absolutely adore her determination and unstoppable desire for independence.

Radu, the baby of the family, is soft and sweet, but he’s extremely smart and is frequently underestimated by strangers. In a society that awards strength, quick violence and skill on the battlefield, Radu doesn’t quite fit in with his contemporaries.

When they were young, their father moved them from their homeland of Wallachia into the heart of the Ottoman Empire, eventually abandoning them there.

Lada’s heart has always, will always, belong to Wallachia however, and she dreams of returning and claiming her birthright of power. She despises the Ottomans and all they have subjected her people to.

For Radu’s part, he feels like he’s found a home in the Empire. A place where he feels safe. He converts to Islam and makes friends.

Chief among their special friends is Mehmed, the lonely son of the sultan. In him, Radu feels like he has finally found acceptance, and Lada is intrigued enough by him to not hate him. That’s saying something for Lada.

Together the three form a very complicated web amongst them. There are secret desires, pining and plotting happening from all sides. It’s intriguing as heck.

I loved all of the political maneuvering in this and the backdrop of the Ottoman Empire was refreshing, exciting and beautifully done.

I also grew very attached to the characters. Lada, I admire and cherish for her dynamism and strong-will. Radu, I love and appreciate for his kind soul and sweet, quiet strength.

While the two had the same upbringing, it’s clear that the two are now set on different paths. Even though they love one another so much, their desires may never mesh. It seems one will always have to sacrifice what they want in order to keep peace between them.

This left off in such an interesting place. You can tell it is building towards an epic showdown. As I mentioned above, I have already started the second book in the series, Now I Rise, and enjoying it just as much.

Overall, I think you can tell that I am living for this story right now. I’m so excited to see what other backlist titles I will love just as much.

If you have been putting this one off for years, like I had, and love YA Political Fantasy stories with complicated familial relationships and lush historical settings, you should absolutely pick this one up and give it a go!

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Review: Castles in their Bones by Laura Sebastian

~ megs14malloy

Castles in their Bones (Castles in their Bones, #1)Castles in their Bones by Laura Sebastian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Castles in their Bones is the start of a YA Fantasy trilogy from beloved author Laura Sebastian.

This story follows three princesses, Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz, who have been raised by their mother, the Empress Margaraux, with one goal in mind: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vesteria.

The triplets are now 16-years old and ready to marry. They’ve had husbands selected for them pretty much since birth, whoever would be most advantageous as far as alliances go. You know how it is to be royalty.

What’s love got to do with it?

Margaraux has trained her girls in the arts of deception, seduction and violence. For their part, the girls have soaked it in. They know what they are supposed to do.

In spite of this, it’s going to be difficult. They’ve never been away from one another. Surviving on their own is something completely foreign to them.

As their adult lives begin, the girls face new challenges and new tests on their loyalties. They discover things as well, about the greater world around them, things they’ve maybe never taken into consideration before.

As you follow the ladies into these positions, you can actually feel their mother’s chess pieces moving on the board. The tension builds until you’re aren’t sure who you can trust. It was cleverly plotted. Well done by Sebastian!

I was really impressed with this. I went in expecting a fairly standard YA Fantasy, but this was anything but. I loved how intricate the scheming and plotting was.

Absolutely diabolical!

I really enjoyed all three of the girls. I loved getting to know them and watching each of their journeys as they moved to their future husband’s courts.

They ended up in vastly different circumstances and watching them navigate through the challenges they faced was so interesting. You could really see how the core of their personalities shaped the decisions they were making.

I found Daphne to be the character I personally connected with the most. I appreciated how she was able to keep her emotions at arms length from her tasks. She knew what she was there to do and she was really quite cunning about her interactions.

While this one started a little slowly, it definitely went out with a bang. I cannot believe how long I am going to have to wait for the continuation of this story.

How you play me like that, Laura Sebastian!?

The very final portion of this left me absolutely shook. It explained a lot and I am seriously at the edge of my seat with anticipation to get my hands on the next installment.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Bring on the sequel!

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Misrule (Malice #2) by Heather Walter

~ megs14malloy

Misrule (Malice Duology, #2)Misrule by Heather Walter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Misrule is the sequel to Heather Walter’s 2021-release, Malice; a darkly creative retelling of Sleeping Beauty.

I have been highly anticipating this second book as I really enjoyed Malice. I found it completely immersive, with wonderful world-building and a fantastic magic system.

As this is the second book in a duology, I may mention some details here that some might consider spoilers. I will try not to reveal too much, but if you’re concerned, look away now.

You have been warned…

This story is set 100-years after the culminating events of the first book.

Alyce has reached her potential and become ruler over the kingdom that once ridiculed her. The Dark Grace known to the Briar Kingdom is dead and now Alyce lives as Nimara, ruler of the Dark Court.

The Dark Court has become a welcome home to creatures who were vilified and hunted by the prior kingdom. Vila, goblins, imps and demons live together within the castle walls in chaotic harmony.

For her part, Aurora remains in an enchanted sleep, locked away in a tower room. Her existence more the stuff of legend than actually memory.

Could a random human boy named Derek, washed ashore and pledged to serve Nimara, be the key to breaking the enchantment holding Aurora in her endless sleep?

There’s so much more to this story than that, including a centuries long battle against the Fae, but I am going to leave it there. If you want to know more, which I think you do, you have to pick up this duology.

Heather Walter’s writing is so readable and digestible. At times Fantasy stories can require a lot of concentration; filled with hard to pronounce names and places, as well as complex histories and magic systems to try to figure out.

While this is a detailed and multi-layered story, it is written in such a way that makes it accessible and addicting. It stands out to me in that regard.

Overall, this was a fantastic conclusion to a highly-underrated YA Fantasy duology. I look forward to seeing what Walter releases next. Personally, I am hoping she stays in the lane of retellings. She nailed this.

Frankly, I’m sad it’s over. I’ll miss this beautiful world and all of the compelling characters.

Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had been highly anticipating this release and it didn’t disappoint for a moment!

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Review: Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez

~ megs14malloy

Together We BurnTogether We Burn by Isabel Ibañez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Eighteen-year-old Zarela Zalvidar is the daughter of famous parents. Her mother was the most cherished flamenco dancer in Hispalia prior to her death and her father is the most celebrated Dragonador.

For a time, the family seemed to have it all. Their own arena, their own dragons and flocks of adoring spectators arriving for all of their shows.

After the tragic death of her mother, however, things begin to spiral for the Zalvidars, made worse after another tragedy strikes during their 500th-anniversary show.

Zarela’s father is seriously injured during the incident, as well as many others, and since it involved some of the Zalvidar’s dragons, the family is being blamed.

Now they face punishment from the Dragon Guild and could potentially lose their ancestral home, as well as their livelihood.

Zarela must keep the arena running on her own. She has to keep money coming in. In order to do so, she decides she needs to take her father’s place in the ring. She needs to become a Dragonador.

To prepare herself for the ring though, she’ll need training, and more dragons. Therefore, she ends up reaching out to dragon hunter, Arturo Díaz de Montserrat, to basically beg him for his help.

While at first Arturo turns Zarela away, she is determined and not taking no for an answer. Ultimately, after an amazing show of will, he’s impressed by her stubbornness. It’s clear she’s not leaving without a yes.

Arturo agrees to help and along with two dragons, they return to Zarela’s home to train and prepare for the show.

During all of this, Zarela also has suspicions that the tragedies involving her family and their shows haven’t been accidents. She thinks someone is purposefully trying to bring them down and she means to get to the bottom of it.

Sweeping through this intricate and wonderfully-developed world, Together We Burn had me completely entranced from start-to-finish!

I absolutely adored this. It’s not a very complicated story, but what’s here is beautifully done.

It’s a story of family, tradition, legacy and a new generations forging their own path while simultaneously paying tribute to those who came before.

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

I found the world to be extremely creative. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it. The whole concept of the dragon fights, that practice, the similarities to traditional bullfighting, was very interesting to read about.

I liked that Ibañez gave her two main characters opposing views on the practice, as that let her give voice to both sides of the controversial issue. Personally, I thought that was handled very well.

At first I was a little concerned about that aspect of the story. I mean, even though dragons are fictional, I love them and don’t want to see them harmed.

I also enjoyed the characters so much and the mystery that ran throughout. Zarela was a great character to follow and the dynamic between her and Arturo gave the story just the right amount of humor and romance.

Finally, I really loved how this wrapped-up. I am more of a series girl, overall, as I feel some standalones leave me wanting more, but I was so pleased with the way this concluded. I walk away a happy girl!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I can’t wait to read more from Isabel Ibañez!!

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