I’ve often heard it said that sequels can be a dangerous venture. There is a balance required where you give the reader more of what they love but also improve upon the first so as not to repeat what you’ve already done.
I think Jacqueline Carey masterfully executed this sequel. Not only do we get to see more of her fabulous world-building, but well-loved characters return and we meet new and equally endearing personalities that almost steal the show.
One of my favorite aspects of Kushiel’s Chosen is how we see Phèdre completely out of Delaunay’s shadow, and how resourceful she is without him. Her perseverance is one of my favorite things about her. She will do everything it takes to accomplish what she believes to be right.
I also love that one of the main antagonists in these books is the intoxicating villainess, Melisandre. Carey does an excellent job bringing this character, and truly all the characters, to life. With a cast as vast as the one found in these books, the fact that Carey can make each one seem unique and memorable is impressive.
This book has more intrigue and action than the first, and it will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I loved it.
I recommend you read it and I can’t wait to read the next one.
I wanted to love this book, having enjoyed the others in this series as much as I have. I don’t know if I was in a weird place while reading it or if I didn’t manage my expectations correctly, but I was a bit disappointed.
I will say that overall, it wasn’t a bad story. It had another of my favorite tropes: forbidden love, but there was just something about the whole thing that I couldn’t get into.
As per usual, we have our villain, in this case, a priest. This particular story has familiar elements from Victor Hugo’s classic, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, although is not in any way a re-telling.
If I am being completely honest, I found the beginning slower than some of the other books in the Never After series, and then by contrast, the ending felt rushed and a little implausible.
There also seemed to be less spice than previous books in the series.
Like I said, maybe I was in the wrong frame of mind to read this particular book. I have thoroughly enjoyed the other books in the Never After series so don’t let me dissuade you from reading it. Check it out for yourself and see what you think of this most recent installment in Emily McIntire’s Never After series. I’d love to know what you think!
As a Canadian, I have been disenchanted for many years, unable to reconcile the country that I love with the country in which I am currently living. It breaks my heart to admit that no is Canada strong and free.
I can remember watching the SNC-Lavalin affair unfolding in the media with utter disbelief. Surely with the truth being brought to light, accountability and consequences would rectify the corruption we were witnessing in our government. I am saddened by my naivete. However, watching Jody Wilson-Raybould dare to use her voice and position to uphold the truth was inspiring and I was so incredibly proud that she was a leader in our country. For this reason, I was so excited to read her book.
For me, “Indian” in the Cabinet accomplished a few things…
First, it confirmed my worst fears. Our system of governance in Canada is undeniably broken, and that truth has only become more clear in the subsequent years since SNC Lavalin. It seems like every day there is a new scandal. I would love to hear from Jody what she thinks of the current state of affairs in this country.
Secondly, and more importantly, reading Jody’s story reassured me that there are still principled individuals in Canada who will not continue to tow the party line and follow blindly when those who are supposed to lead us go astray. Though they may be few and far between, they are mighty.
Lastly, ordinary people must be willing to take action if change is to occur. Canada, like many other countries around the world, is perched upon a precipice. We are losing little freedoms with every piece of insidious legislation that is hidden within the legalese text of government bills being touted as our salvation or for our good.
As sovereign, sentient beings, with inherent, unalienable rights, the government should never be allowed to influence decisions related to our bodies, our beliefs, our thoughts, what we read, and what we listen to, or what we say. Freedom isn’t free, and it is too easily taken for granted.
Historically speaking, freedom isn’t usually lost in one epic battle, rather it slips away slowly, over time, because indifference is easy and too many people just go with the flow. Jody Wilson-Raybould is not indifferent.
I think the book should be read by every Canadian, and by all people who believe in good governance and the rule of law. Jody Wilson-Raybould exemplifies what it means to lead by example and with integrity. And though I’m not sure it was her intention, this book should also be classified as must-read leadership material.
Personally and from the bottom of my broken Canadian heart, I am grateful for Jody and her courage to re-live and write about her experiences in our nation’s capital. She gives me hope and another reason to stay proud as a Canadian, even when our country is struggling. Thank you, Jody, for speaking truth to power.
If I had to choose, my favorite romance trope is enemies to lovers. There is something so visceral about the connection that builds between two people who start off hating each other and become so deeply in love. I think that hate and love have passion in common, and what is more enticing than that? And if you can see the worst parts in someone, pick out all of their flaws, and grow to love them anyway…maybe that is what true love is.
Now, I’m not saying that it isn’t true love if you don’t start off hating them. What I will say though is that at some point in every serious relationship, we are faced with our partner’s flaws and weaknesses. Many relationships don’t survive this challenge so maybe an argument could be made that if we faced and acknowledged the less favorable aspects earlier in the relationship, deeper and more long-lasting love might be the result, but I digress.
Twisted is the fourth book I’ve read by Emily McIntire and another installment in the Never After series where the villain is afforded their happy ending. The use of the enemies-to-lovers trope is so well presented in these books and the intensity it adds to the spice level is *Mwah, Chef’s Kiss*
Another fun aspect of these books is the way McIntire weaves in familiar themes from other well-known stories, like Aladdin, for this particular book. What would you do if you were the only heir to the family legacy but your father insisted you be married to someone who meets his approval because you are expected to be involved in name only and that your new spouse would be the one to run things? Would you pick a stranger or the devil you know?
This was one of my favorite books in the series so far (I read it in one day) and I am so excited to continue reading the Never After series as more books become available. If you are looking for something a little dark and twisty but love the smut, read this book.
This book was not what I expected, but I am happy to say I wasn’t disappointed.
The story is set in Terre d’Ange, a fictional land founded by a rebel angel and his companions. The inhabitants claim to be descended from those companions and the angel himself. The world-building in this story is masterful. With many familiar elements drawn from various people and cultures from actual history, Carey does a superb job weaving a complicated tale of political intrigue and betrayal.
The main reason that this book was not what I expected is that it was presented to me as a spicy romance-themed book but it was so much more.
Firstly, saying this book is spicy is putting it mildly. Our main character, Phèdre, was born to a courtesan, and by tradition, would be trained from an extremely young age in the ways of pleasure according to whichever house she belonged.
But Phèdre was born with a red mote in her eye, known as Kushiel’s Dart. Marked by the angel and with an innate desire to experience pleasure through pain, her life is anything but simple and she soon finds herself amid a grand plot that threatens her entire nation.
Though I generally disagree with trigger warnings (you’ll never find one in any book I write), I feel as though I owe potential readers a heads-up. If you are against BDSM this book is not for you. If you are looking for a lovely romance story, this doesn’t quite fit that narrative. Unfortunately, if the Goodreads reviews I read are any indication, a ton of people did not find what they were looking for with this story.
However, if you are someone who can take the good with the uncomfortable and unfamiliar then this book is a great read (there was nothing inherently bad in this story and I appreciated the positive way that sex workers of all types were portrayed in this story. Many involved in such work choose it willingly and I will always defend an adult’s sovereignty in choosing their own path).
My favorite part of this story (and the reason I purchased the next two books in this trilogy) was the political intrigue and the dynamic world that Carey has created. Her unique writing style is exactly the type I love reading. It is lyrical and paints evocative pictures in my mind that transport me into the world she has created, which is one of the main reasons why I read. Don’t just tell me a story. Take me from this mundane and troubled world and drown me in your story. I want to feel it, and see it, and live inside of it.
The persona we often associate with death is dark and terrifying, but what if he had a sense of humor and was in the market for a new apprentice? In this fourth book of the Discworld series, Pratchett introduces us to Mort, the youngest son of a vintner who is more of a burden to his family than a boon. On his brother’s advice, the vintner decides to take Mort to a hiring fair. What follows for young Mort is an unbelievable opportunity to work as death’s apprentice.
This has been one of my favorite Discworld novels to date, and if the difficulty I had tracking it down is any indication, I would say many others thoroughly enjoyed it as well.
In his usual way, Pratchett takes us on a wild adventure in this world he created. While sometimes I find his writing style difficult to follow (I still struggle with the lack of chapter breaks), he does an excellent job painting a picture of Death (the persona) in a way many wouldn’t consider.
There is a philosophical aspect to this book that I enjoyed, mulling over the concepts of fate and our ability or not to influence it. Sometimes I wonder which would be an easier pill to swallow. Is everything predetermined by fate and we are powerless to stop our destiny? Or, is the entire symphony of our life written by our own hands, and everything that happens to us a consequence of our own choices, and no one else’s? Maybe it’s a combination of the two.
Whether it is fate that demands it or your good judgment, read this book.
I intended to post sooner but I have been battling an extreme case of existential angst. The best way I can describe it would be to imagine yourself on a cliff’s edge, or at least you believe it is a cliff. Everything below it is darkness. You cannot turn around and run the other way. The only option is forward. Your chest heaves as you take deep breaths trying to steady yourself for the inevitable. Your creativity can’t even get you out of the situation. So you breathe and wonder how far the fall is and what is at the bottom. If you jump, will you crash among the rocks to your doom? Will there be water that you will need to tread to stay alive and do you have the stamina to last long enough to be rescued or find the shore? Will the fall be endless and force you to live in a constant state of expecting the worst that never comes and the agony of that? Or is there something or someone waiting to catch you?
That is how I have been feeling. All of it. And so, I have spent these first weeks of the new year trying to steady myself. Thank you for patiently standing by.
On a brighter note…
I surpassed my reading goal for 2023. My goal was 40 books and I managed 45! I will make a post with the list and my top 10 recommendations soon. Stay tuned!
In writing news…
My brilliant editor has wrapped up editing my first novel, Magic in Her Blood. Now it sits idly waiting for either an agent to represent it or for my impatience to win out and self-publish it.
I have been in the thick of querying various agents, and with little exception, have received form rejections to the tune of “not the right fit for me” or “ not quite what I am looking for at this time”.
So far, I am as yet undeterred and will continue to search for one who deems it worthy.
Thanks for sticking with me. I hope to have more exciting news to share with you soon. I wish you all the very best of what 2024 has to offer.
“I don’t want to be loved by the hero. I don’t want to be sacrificed on the altar of saving the world. I want to be loved by the villain. I want to be worshipped above all else by someone who would burn it all down just to be with me and together we would live amongst the ashes.” – ATL Doyle
I wrote the words above after I finished reading Wretched by Emily McIntire. This is the third of her books that she describes as fractured fairytales. The premise of these books is the villain getting their happy ending instead of the predictable hero’s journey where the good guys win and the bad guys lose.
There is something deliciously dark about these books and they are spicy, but what I love most about them is the way they illustrate how thin the line between good and evil is. Broken people with tragic pasts can easily slide into a villain role. Pain and desperation can do funny things to a person. The bad guy in your story might be the good guy in mine. Which of us is right about them? Does it even matter?
There is something intoxicating about imagining a love so fierce and so real that no obstacle exists that can stop it. If love is the end, do the means even matter?
Read one of these books and then see how you feel about the answers to these questions.
Imagine, if you will, taking a familiar cast of characters, their personalities intact, and you drop them into a new and unfamiliar environment. Now, I want you to also imagine a world where the villain gets their happy ending.
Essentially, that is the premise of this book by Emily McIntire.
I first learned about this author/book series on BookTok, and I am delighted to have found it.
Hooked is written in the first person and bounces back and forth between our villain, James, and the daughter (Wendy) of his enemy, Peter (Yes, the cast of Peter Pan!). This is a delicious tale of revenge with a very spicy and dark plot, I was not disappointed.
This book was exactly what I had hoped for. There are other reviews out there that don’t share my opinion. I feel it comes down to managing expectations. It is very difficult to write a spicy romance and tell a riveting story with lyrical prose at the same time (especially for anyone less than an expert), in my humble opinion. I went in expecting a dark and steamy, somewhat twisted tale, and that is what I found.
I will say however, this book is not for the faint of heart, so if you are looking for healthy relationships and a gentle romance, you will not find it in these pages.
If you want to explore something edgy and a little dangerous, leave your innocence and naivety at the door and read this book.
I am a history enthusiast. I think that’s what drew me to the Assassin’s Creed franchise in the beginning. Of their many talents, Ubisoft ( the creators) are brilliant at depicting historical locations and periods with next-level authenticity. I have played nearly every Assassin’s Creed game in the franchise, so when I discovered that there were also AC books, I HAD to read them.
So, I read some reviews and many advised readers that some of the first ones written weren’t much more than a direct narration from the game, without variation so the books were a bit shallow. I knew this going in, but I was still disappointed to find out it was true.
This book was a tough read. There was a lot of “stage direction” type writing and very little ‘showing’ with a whole lot of ‘telling’.
There was so much an author could have done with character development, especially for the time when AC Renaissance was set. The story in both the video game and the novel follows Ezio Auditore, whose father was a banker during the Medici era in Florence, Italy.
What I wished for this book was to expand on the storyline from the game and give the readers more in-depth history. I wanted to see Ezio struggle emotionally and watch his character develop in a way that isn’t possible to witness in the video game.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, BUT!
It was a lovely refresher for the story from the video game. If you go in with zero expectations, the book is decent and may even delight someone who hasn’t played the game. For die-hard fans of Assassin’s Creed, this book is a nice keepsake/ piece of merchandise to add to your fan collection.
Despite my disappointment, I will manage my expectations better next time. I plan to continue reading the books in the series, if for no other reason than I find them nostalgic and useful in sating my hunger for new Assassin’s Creed stories/games.
