Phoenyx in Flames by Daisy St. James

Synopsis

As a child, Jane heard voices. Felt what others could feel. 

She was witness to the things that went bump in the night and could tell a person's deepest, darkest thoughts with only a touch. Until tragedy changed her life completely, thrusting her into the care of Hutton Grimshaw.

Esteemed chair member of The Order of the Flame, Hutton does what he must. Training young Jane to be the one thing the shadows feared. Now, at the age of twenty-five, she is known as Phoenyx, the world's deadliest supernatural assassin. 

The hard and fast rules change when she finds Judas, a vampire, suffering in a back alley with no memory of who he is, or why he's becoming more and more human every day. With a price on her head and the survival of humanity at stake, Phoenyx finds herself . . . Changing. Her true nature is slowly beginning to reveal itself and mysteriously, Hutton is the only one who seems to know why. 

After years of taking down the supernatural beings that plague her hometown of Crystal Haven, Phoenyx finds herself teetering on the fine line between good and evil. While her attraction to Judas begins to consume her, growing like a fire out of control, one thing becomes undeniably clear . . . 

If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.

***Contains mature subject matter, sexual content, 18+ readers only.*** 

Rating 4 stars

Review

Don't you just love an unapologetically badass female MC? I do, and Phoenix is just that. 
The secondary characters were great too, I love Cortez (demon) and I'm intrigued by Monroe (succubus).
There is no shortage of hot guys and steamy moments, and despite being fast-paced there was just enough description for me to fully imagine all the scenarios and characters.
There was enough action and mystery to keep me reading, I finished it in only two reading sessions.
Must confess I had a pretty good idea of what Phoenix would become near the end, but maybe that's because I have a similar character.
I'm intrigued by what comes next.

Take a look at Phoenix in Flames here: https://amzn.to/2LWPieL

THE CURSED KEY by Rebecca Hamilton and Miranda Brock

Synopsis:

A FORGOTTEN PAST, A DARK MAGE,

AND AN UNYIELDING CURSE.

Another team beat free-spirited archaeologist Olivia Perez to the dig of a lifetime, and now she’s left with the choice to wait for scraps or brave a dangerous, dusty tomb in hopes of finding other priceless artifacts. Her reward? A mysterious key she has no idea is cursed. Soon, Olivia realizes she’s brought home more than just an ancient rarity.

Malevolent visions begin to plague her. Unnerved by what they reveal, she casts away the key…unknowingly placing it into the waiting hands of a dark mage bent on destruction. Only when a shifter agent from the Paranormal Intelligence and Tracking Organization arrives searching for the key does Olivia realize what a huge mistake she’s made. 

Forced to team up with the ill-tempered shifter, her journey to reclaim the cursed key leads down a twisting path of dark histories, dangerous magic, and deadly obstacles. But Olivia’s efforts to take back the ancient relic before the dark mage can destroy the lives of humans, shifters, witches, and fae alike are thwarted by her own dark past…and a price steeper than what she’s willing to pay.

Fans of Tomb Raider and Ilona Andrews will love the blend of urban fantasy, magical adventure, and paranormal romance in THE CURSED KEY from Miranda Brock and New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Hamilton!

Get THE CURSED KEY HERE:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VZ37gE

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-cursed-key/id1459894682

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-cursed-key 

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cursed-key-miranda-brock/1131266178?ean=9781949112078 

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BEYOND THE BLACK - Through The Mirror

"Watch you spin in your veils of protection
Layer on layer of dark colors unwind
Shake them off but you never forget them
Show your scars to the mute and the blind

Only showin' your face to the lonely
Wear a mask for the masses so cold
Choosin' roads that are broken and stony
Let me tell you my dreams of our destiny

Speak to me, sing to me, bare your soul to me
Step through the mirror, join me inside
Run to me, stay with me, till eternity
Show me the face that you hide
You hide, oh"

Motionless In White - Disguise (Official Audio)

"Mirror mirror tell me who you see 
Am I you or me? 
I can never remember 
But you can’t hide forever 

I found myself by losing hope 
I lost my way to find a home 
I hid myself to stay alive
Now I’m ready to face my disguise"

Review of Metamorphosis by Ivy Logan

Synopsis

Amelia, Peradora's teenage heiress is a fashionista and boasts of 6 million followers on Twitter. In reality she is a bit of an introvert, a prisoner in a golden cage and her 'it girl' image is nothing but a carefully crafted, elaborate P.R. plan, masterminded by her guardian, Liam, the dictator of Peradora.

As secrets from her past dodge her at every turn, can Amelia choose between Adrian, the adventure junkie, her first love and Noah, the handsome bodyguard, and her best friend? Do they have secrets of their own, they're keeping from her?

Now Peradora, her beloved nation is in trouble, and a sorceress ancestor, grants Amelia the ability to shape shift. Will it prove to be a curse or a boon? Will the power be too much for Amelia to handle? And can it truly change who she is inside, a frightened girl, quite out of her depth?

As a stunning set of events unfold, will the truth set Amelia free or will she learn that some secrets are best buried in the past?

Review
Rating: 4 Stars
Amelia lives a double life, I might say a triple life.
Left orphan she is forced to live with her uncle, who is by all definitions a monster.
To the world, she is a spoiled diamond heiress, but the reality is far from that. She is a prisoner in a Palace and has had to endure a lot in her short life. 
She will lose friends, fall in love and be forced to make a decision: her heart, or her people?
Will she be able to use her newfound powers to stop the madness her uncle has enforced? 
Love, loss, and some great plot twists make this fast-paced book a must read for those who enjoy the mix of sweet paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

Review of The Rebel Mages by Laurie Forest

Rebel Mages encompasses the two novellas in The Black Witch Chronicles: Wandfasted and Light Mage.

Synopsis of Wandfasted

Twenty years before Elloren Gardner enrolled at the illustrious Verpax University, Erthia was rent asunder during the devastating Realm War. When Tessla Harrow is driven from her home by the fighting, she discovers a depth of power she never knew she had…and an irresistible draw toward Vale Gardner, the son of the most powerful mage her people have ever known—the Black Witch.

Review

I'm having a seriously bad fangirling case. Wandfasted is amazing! I enjoyed it as much as The Black Witch.

Wandfasted tells the story of how Tessla and Vale (Elloren's parents) knew each other. It also shows why Carnissa Gardner became a legend, and believe me you don't want to miss that. With a fast pace and beautiful world-building, this book is simply impossible to put down once you start.

I absolutely loved getting to know Tessla, she's a badass, the kind of MC that I can't get enough of: intelligent, brave, selfless, strong and mature. Vale I had to warm up to, but once you get to know him better he's easy to love. 

Is also quite the experience getting to know the parents of other characters from The Black Witch. You get a lot of: "now I get it".

I completely recommend this book for anyone who knows how to read, and if you don't, here's a good reason.

Synopsis of Light Mage

Before Elloren came to possess the White Wand of myth, the Wand was drawn to another bearer: Sagellyn Gaffney. Sage’s affinity for light magery, a rare skill among Gardnerians, makes her the perfect protector for the one tool that can combat the shadows spreading across Erthia. But in order to keep the Wand safe from the dark forces hunting for it, Sage must abandon everything she once knew and forge a new path for herself…a dangerous course that could lead to either triumph or utter ruin.

Review

Imagine living in a world where people are segregated based on their race. Where religion has been twisted and turned into a weapon, aimed against other's beliefs. Where fear of the unknown leads to hate and cruelty. Where little girls have no right over their own bodies and are forced into marriage. 

Not difficult to do, right?

Sage Gaffney comes from an extremely religious family, even for a Gardnerian. She has been taught that being obedient and following the teachings of the Ancient One will keep her safe. Safe from the demons that want to corrupt her people, safe from the vile men that hurt innocent girls like her. Her bubble shatters when she learns -in the worse way possible- that evil thrives within her own people; hidden behind mountains of lies.

She is thrust into the cruel reality of being shunned by her family, her kind, and all the other races the Gardnerians have hurt. But she is not alone, she finds allies from where she least expects, compassion from those who she thought were evil, patient teaching from the shunned; unconditional love from a man she “should” fear. There is a lot of pain and heartbreak for her, but also a lot of friendship and love. 

Sage is brave, compassionate, kind, and she learns fast. The kind of heroine I can root for easily; she makes mistakes, but learns from them and comes out stronger in the end. 

The love interest, Ciaran, is one of my fave male MCs. He is different from many others, and I loved that. There are a lot of lovable secondary characters, my absolute favorite is Rivyr, I need more of him and his antics. 

A must-read by an author that has quickly become one of my favorite. 

Tap on the image to grab your copy of The Rebel Mages right here: 

The OCD Games by Kayla Krantz

The OCD Games: A Christmas Romance Novella by Kayla Krantz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Erica has OCD, and because of it, she has issues keeping jobs despite being a competent person, sometimes her compulsions get the best of her. She has a crazy best friend -Kara- that encourages her and pushes her to be a bit more adventurous. Her life is rather monotonous until she meets someone in her new job at a small store.

Blaine is mysterious, he's rather quiet but he's charming nevertheless, and...

Nah, you have to read this by yourself to find out.

I found myself feeling related to Erica more than once, and overall enjoyed The OCD games a lot.

A sweet, lovely novella. Totally recommend.

View all my reviews

Grab the OCD Games here: https://amzn.to/2EDQT3E

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass

Throne of Glass

Synopsis:

"Nothing is a coincidence. Everything has a purpose. You were meant to come to this castle, just as you were meant to be an assassin."

When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King's Champion and be released from prison.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.

And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she'd have again: a friend.

But something evil dwells in the castle—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival—and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.

Rating: 5 Stars

Review

I'd stalled reading Throne of Glass. Whenever a book is over-hyped I always approach it with some foreboding. But it turned out my fears were unfounded. I had seen a lot of bad reviews hating on Celeana and the book in general. And I have to ask, what the hell? 

Celeana Sardothien is a refreshing female lead. She is cocky, she knows she is dangerous, strong and beautiful, a nice change from the I-don't-know-I'm-awesome-but-everyone-drools-for-me trope. The girl can fight, and she is not clumsy, I'm so done with clumsy MCs. 
Not a fan Chaol, his way of seeing Celeana for most of the book thoroughly annoyed me.
Not really a fan of Dorian either, he lacks nerve.
I LOVE Princess Nehemia! 
I wasn't surprised by most of the plot twists, but they were nicely delivered. 

Action, sass, mystery, I loved it.

Fave quote: “Libraries were full of ideas—perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.”

Get it here: https://amzn.to/2EyunJp