#ya historical fantasy

[andreai04]

“Fear was impossible to eradicate. But so was the will to survive.”

#reading #books read in 2023 #bookblr #books #book photography #book blog #bibliophile #books reading #the poppy war #rf kuang #r.f. kuang #poppy war series #debut novel #ya fantasy #ya historical fantasy #chinese history #fang runin #altan trengsin #nezha #kitay #so so good #her writing is amazing #slow start #but had me hooked by the end #have no idea what’s going to happen in book two #excited for what's to come #four stars #march reads

[elliepassmore]

Ruthless Vows review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: historical fantasy, love stories, magical amnesia

Divine Rivals review

I've been dying to get my hands on this book since I finished Divine Rivals! The ending of DR definitely packed a sucker punch, so I was interested to see what was in store for Roman and Iris in this one. For anyone wondering, there is an HEA!

This book opens shortly after where DR left off. Iris is back in Oath with her brother, Forest, and is still (obviously) upset about losing Kitt. But Iris isn't down for the count and is determined to continue reporting on the war effort and determined to find Kitt again. Iris again shows her mettle, both when trying to find and help Kitt and when she decides to go back to the front with Attie.

Kitt is, as expected, not quite himself. He's still a writer, but his words are no longer entirely his own, and his memories are just as wiped as Forest's were in book 1. It was good to see that he was still himself though. Kitt may have been Dacre's minion to start, but he very quickly begins questioning things around him and his true self shows through, even if he still doesn't remember. I think book 1 really highlighted Iris while this one highlights Kitt and his journey. I liked getting more of Kitt's POV in this book, and I think there are some scenes that really go to show his growth in DR and in this book.

Attie is also back in this one and we get to see more of her life. Not only do we get to meet her family, but she also plays a pretty important role in this one. I enjoyed getting to see more of Attie and more of her and Iris' friendship. She even got a bit of her own romance in this book. I'd definitely be interested in a novella or companion book about Attie.

Tobias is a new character in this book, and is Attie's burgeoning love interest. He's an auto driver who helps the Inkridden Tribune get stories, and correspondents, to and from the front.

We also get to know more about Enva and Dacre in this one. Kitt is, obviously, with Dacre and we actually get to a good number of scenes between him and the god. Dacre is just as insidious as he's painted in the first book and it's clear just how much thought he's put into how he's going to destroy Enva, regardless of who gets in his way. Enva is...less of a presence in this book, but we do see her and get to know more of her story and why she hasn't personally stepped in to help those fighting on her side.

This book is split between Oath and Dacre's realm. Oath begins as the familiar city we were introduced to in Divine Rivals, but after Iris and Attie return from the front the second time, it's a changed city. There's a power struggle between those, like the mayor and Kitt's family, who support Dacre; the newly-founded, anti-god/dess Graveyard group; people like Helena at the Inkridden Tribune, who support Enva; and then the regular citizens are caught in the middle. The Graveyard group seems to have come out of nowhere, but there are hints that it's been around for a while and is only just now popping up. I would've liked to see more development of things in Oath, especially since I think the Graveyard group has a lot of interesting implications, particularly considering how they very quickly have everyone cowed. I also think the implications of war reaching Oath were interesting, and while I understand why this was a relatively short portion of the book, I think it would've been interesting to explore that more.

Dacre's realm is underground, relying on ley lines and special doors for travel. As grim as it could be, I liked seeing the various aspects of the underworld. There are parts of it made completely of stone, then there are halls/tunnels with unusual creatures and large gemstones, and then there are areas with seemingly unnatural features, such as sulfur vents and hot springs and mountainous regions. I definitely liked that Kitt got to see so much of it since it really was an interesting place, and it showed a lot of the past and present magic of the world.

Overall I found this to be a satisfying sequel and finale to the duology. It's not without its tragedies but it does have happy moments and a happy ending. I do wish that Iris and Kitt were together for more of the book, but it's pretty fast paced, so it doesn't feel like too long. I did enjoy seeing them together though and this time they're fully on each other's side!

#book #book review #books #book recommendations #fantasy #booklr #bookstagram #bookblr #bookaholic #bookish #ya fantasy books #fantasy books #ya fantasy #ya fiction #divine rivals #ruthless vows #rebecca ross #historical fantasy #ya historical fantasy

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

Review: Foul Lady Fortune (Chloe Gong)

Rating: ★★★★/5

“‘You don’t mean to say that you’re trying to save the whole city from harm. You’ll spend your whole life trying, and you’ll still fail. There is a reason why dui bù qî is dui bù qî. We’re only human. We will never match up to what everything could be.’ Rosalind gave him a little smile, almost looking confused. ‘With enough time -‘ ‘No,’ he insisted. ‘You cannot save the world. You can try to save one thing if you must, but it is enough if that one thing is yourself.’” This was good. It didn’t captivate me quite like These Violent Delights, but it was well written and intriguing. Rosalind Lang has become Lady Fortune, an immortal assassin with nothing to lose. Her weapon of choice: poison, fast-acting and lethal. When a new assignment sees her going undercover, with a fake husband, no less, she is mortified; this is not her strong suit, but she will follow her orders. Her heart, however, has other ideas...as does Orion Hong, the aforementioned fake husband. Part of what drew me in with TVD was the fact that it was an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Without that draw, that familiarity, this one still brought me into its story, but I didn't feel the same magnetism there. However, I absolutely adore Rosalind Lang. She is so nuanced, so interesting, and her dynamic with Orion is truly the best part of this book. They're feisty, they're fiery, they're so much goddamn fun to read about. I have such a clear picture of Orion as this suave, snarky pretty boy with a heart of gold underneath; I loved him in this. The other characters fell a bit more flat, especially Celia and Oliver. Oliver feels like a carbon copy of his brother, and for that matter, so does his relationship with Celia. Celia felt like a shadow more than anything; I guess we didn't get enough time with her for her to make more of an impact. But there is so much there, and it felt a bit like she was just wasted in this book. I did love Phoebe and Silas though. Again, the snark, the humour, is where Chloe really shines in her character development, and these guys exemplify that. The twists and turns in the plot were fun here, but I found myself struggling to remember who was on what side and where we finally fell with it all in the end. I think because Rosalind doesn't have super strong ties to anything, that she chooses what she has to and just accepts it, it makes the perpetual civil war and Japanese influence feel less defined than it could have. Those details sometimes made it hard to lose myself in the story, because I had to go back and remember all of that nitty gritty every time I picked up the book. Overall, though, Chloe's writing is beautiful and evocative. Her characters are wonderful. I did enjoy this, and I will read the sequel.

#booklr #book photography #book picture #book review #foul lady fortune #chloe gong #ya fiction #ya fantasy #ya historical fantasy #bookworm #bibliophile #book lover #book nerd #book aesthetic #book community #my photos #my reviews #mine

[mercerislandbooks]

Short Take: The Drowned Woods

You could say I have a fascination with Wales. It began when I picked up Sharon Kay Penman’s Welsh Princes Trilogy as a teenager and devoured them. Historical fiction set in 13th century Wales filled with romance, royal machinations and more than one prince called Llewelyn. Totally hooked. Then I finally read Susan Cooper’s outstanding The Dark is Rising series. The last two are set in Wales, complete with a short primer on Welsh pronunciation, and I ate them up. It was in the final book of this series, Silver on the Tree, that I first heard of the Drowned Hundred, a mythical kingdom swallowed by the sea. When I caught sight of The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones, a YA historical fantasy, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a connection. Indeed, it is set in Wales and involves a heist, so I was definitely in.

Merirad (Mer) is just trying to keep her head down and escape the notice of Prince Garanhir, the man who bought her off her family when it was discovered she was a water diviner, a human touched by the fae and able to manipulate water. He raised her to be used as his weapon but when Mer couldn’t live with the damage she’d inflicted any longer, she ran. Trouble comes looking for her in the form of her old mentor, the Prince’s spymaster. Renfrew offers her the opportunity to get free of the Prince forever with one last job. Together Mer and Renfrew assemble a crew, including a young man touched by Death, the heir to the Thieves Guild and a corgi called Trefor who may or may not be a spy of the “other folk”. Their aim? A magical well on a remote island guarded by an otherworldly boar said to protect the Prince’s kingdom by holding back the sea. Plus all the treasures the well contains. Ruin Garanhir and finance their new lives all in one fell swoop.

Of course nothing is straightforward when magic and spies are involved, and the nonstop action kept me riveted. I listened to The Drowned Woods on audio, a bonus because for once I heard all the Welsh names and places as they are supposed to be pronounced instead of making my best attempt based on that long ago lesson Bran gives Will in The Grey King. Lovers of historical fantasy and fans of Six of Crows will find this a good fit. Lloyd-Jones balances tension with humor, because nothing beats a corgi that sneezes when magic is in play. And for those who have series fatigue, this is a stand-alone. Though if you want more of Lloyd-Jones’ historical fantasy Wales, you can also pick up her previous YA, The Bone Houses. A perfect escape for the end of summer!

— Lori

#island books #lori robinson #wales #the drowned woods #emily lloyd-jones #sharon kay penman #welsh princes trilogy #susan cooper #the dark is rising #the grey king #silver on the tree #the bone houses #ya historical fantasy

[thegrimmlibrarian]

#revelle #lyssa mia smith #moulin rouge #moulin rouge inspired #ya fantasy #ya historical fantasy #historical fantasy

[thepenmuse]

SALES BLITZ: AZREYA

  Title:Azreya Author: Tricia Copeland Genre: YA Historical Fantasy, Myths & Legends Editor: Jo Michaels, Indie Books Gone Wild Illustrator: Matt Maes Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022 Hosted by: Lady Amber’s Reviews & PR Blurb: For years, Azreya accepts her place as one cursed by the gods, but with foresight of an impending slaughter, she dares to attempt to reverse the Aztec people’s…

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#blog tour #book blurb #book tour #Myths & Legends #YA Historical Fantasy

[treasurechestsubs]

**New Project Announcement 2 - Tian Ya Ke Audio Drama S1 PV** English Subbed

Hello everyone one more time for today~! ^o^

We’ve also picking up Tian Ya Ke (Faraway Wanderers) Audio Drama!! 🎉

To kickstart this, we have the PV of this audio drama for today's release which can be accessed via our discord server. To request an invite to the server, please fill up this >> request form <<

This audio drama is a paid audio drama and is available for purchase from missevan website: >> Season 1 << and >> Season 2 << So, if you like this story and if you can, please do purchase this audio drama from there. Missevan now also accepts google pay payments, so if you have a google pay account, you can just purchase diamonds on missevan website and purchase both seasons!! :D

Please note: In case you try to open above link or any links from us on your phone and get an error message, please just try opening the link in your phone’s internet browser, go to the address bar and remove the “href.li” part and proceed to open the link.

Please also note: When you put down your responses in the above-linked form, please just put down a link to your social media profile. Only writing your social media username does not give us any information on which social media website you are referring to, and so, I won’t be able to process such requests. Also, if you just write some random answer (like OK) for this question, your request will definitely not be considered and no invite will be sent to you.

Many a times, it happens that our email to you having the invite link goes to your spam folder in your mailbox. So please do check once check there once and if you still haven’t received an invite, contact us on tumblr.

Also, please do double-check the email address you put down because one reason for you not receiving any invite could also be that you put down a wrong email address and so the mail bounced back.

*********

Our ongoing projects: >> Link <<

Our revamped Carrd: >> Link <<

*********

Notes:

1) Please use >> VLC Player << to play the file. It is available for a large range of operating systems as well as devices.

For advanced users, I’d recommend >> K-lite codec pack + MPC-HC player << Standard version or above. The player is included from the standard version onwards.

2) Please do not share these files on YouTube and any other video streaming platforms. If you wish to share these with your friends, please just reblog or link this tumblr post or request your friends to join our server.

3) Copper Coins, Global Examination, Panguan, Qianqiu, Mou Mou, Mo Dao Zu Shi, Kaleidoscope of Death and Tian Ya Ke Audio Dramas are paid dramas. So please consider purchasing these audio drama if possible in order to support the original content creators. Links to the original CN audio only ADs have been linked in the >> projects << page for ease of navigation.

Happy watching~! :D

#tyk #tian ya ke #faraway wanderers #audio drama #season 1 #PV #english subbed #pure love #drama #historical #action #romance #fantasy #priest #treasure chest subs

[amandacanwrite]

Hey friends! I am doing a super special cover reveal and I could use your help!

I’m sending out a bunch of letters from my main character of my novel With Love, Juniper and I would love if the reading and writing community could help me share it with the world!

With Love, Juniper is a book about a young witch trying to navigate complicated social anxiety issues, learning to live and accept herself the way her loved ones do.

Im sending out handwritten letters, a print of the cover, an additional art print and some stickers all for FREE. All you have to do is fill out this form and I will tend it to you when it’s ready to go!

I’d so appreciate if you can share this post or comment to help it find people who would be interested! If you have any questions, just let me know!

Tagging the list :)

@eldritchx @carrotsinnovember @michael-thepoet @csdarkfantasy @a-crystallen-author @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @sm-writes-chaos

#writing community #writers on tumblr #writing #authors #writeblr #my writing #romantasy #book quotes #wlj #with love juniper #my book #readblr #readers #ya romance #ya #historical fantasy #free art #penpals

[home-ward]

I’m feeling enchanted today after closing the pages of this book. The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in this magical adventure. I highly recommend!

#book blog #bookish love #bookworm #bookish aesthetic #mine #bookblr #bibliophile #bookish #library #cottagecore #dark academia #study inspiration #academia aesthetic #romantic academia #beige academia #what the river knows #isabel ibanez #historical fantasy #ya books

[smokefalls]

Love was a curse. Nothing good ever came out of it.

Chloe Gong, Foul Lady Fortune

#Chloe Gong #Foul Lady Fortune #quote #fiction #historical fiction #fantasy #ya #2023 reads

[jessread-s]

✩✒️✉️Review:

“Divine Rivals” is the book I cannot stop thinking about and for that reason alone, I cannot recommend it enough.

“Divine Rivals” follows Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, two young rival journalists competing for a columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette. With her mother suffering from addiction and her brother missing after enlisting in a war among gods, Iris desperately needs to win if she hopes to hold her family together. To keep her worries at bay, she writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door. Unbeknownst to Iris, they end up in the hands of Roman and he anonymously writes her back, sparking a connection that follows Iris to the front lines. 

Ross’ writing is infused with magic. Her lyrical prose and imagery contribute to her seamless world-building and instantly immersed me in the high stakes atmosphere of her world. From page one, I was sucked into the lore and mythology surrounding the gods, fascinated by their presence and role in the war. The battle is very reminiscent of both of the World Wars, so I had something familiar to cling to while reading about the front lines. The elements of realism paired very nicely with the fantastical, enriching my reading experience. 

The love story in Divine Rivals is one for the history books. I loved alternating between Iris and Roman’s perspectives because it allowed me to fully grasp their character motivations, discover the origin of their respective inner conflicts, and pinpoint the moment they each fell in love with one another. Their development from rivals at the Oath Gazette to lovers desperately clinging to each other on the battlefield is well paced, emotion filled, beautifully done in every other respect. 

I especially loved watching Iris and Roman fall in love with each other twice — in person and over letter correspondence. Ross includes the contents of each and every letter in full to forge their connection and make it more believable. With Iris in the dark about the identity of her pen pal, she falls in love with two different sides to Roman and eventually has to come to terms with the fact that her rival and correspondent are the same person. 

You’ll have to take my word for it that this book is AMAZING because my review barely scratches the surface. If I could read it again for the first time, I would. 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

#divine rivals #ruthless vows #letters of enchantment #iris at the front #iris winnow #roman kitt #rebecca ross #rivals to lovers #found family #dual pov #slow burn #ya romance #historical fantasy #fantasy romance #romantasy #ya fantasy #book review #booklr #book blog #book blogger #book rec #bookish #bibliophile #ya books #ya lit #bookaholic #ya reads

[gabibookworm]

Happy book birthday to this week’s new releases! 📚

#booklr #books #diverse books #ya books #bookworm #mg books #lgbtq books #ya fantasy #ya romance #historical fiction #middle grade books #graphic novel #ya horror

[elliepassmore]

Last Violent Call review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: Chloe Gong, These Violent Delights, novellas, fluff, fun stories

These Violent Delights review here

Our Violent Ends review here

Foul Lady Fortune review here I am pleased to announce that I was correct!. I guessed Roma + Juliette were still alive at the end of OVE and felt it was quite obvious in FLF, but it's good to know for certain. Both novellas serve mainly as fun stories to catch fans up on some of their favs from TVD. There's lots of humor and fluff to go around. At the same time, each novella has a plot that directly ties into the goings-on of FLF (and assumedly FHH).

A Foul Thing I absolutely loved seeing Roma and Juliette's dynamic now that they're older and their lives aren't in danger all the time. They still work well together and are madly in love, but they're also able to cherish the peace they've built around themselves. I enjoyed getting to see them being blissfully domestic while still being knife- and gun-wielding business people. This novella also had a lot of humor to it, which I appreciated. It was nice seeing Juliette be the funny one. This novella takes place during FLF and Roma + Juliette's investigation has interesting connections to one Dr. Lourens. This Foul Murder Ben and Marshall are the stars of this one as they get into all sorts of shenanigans while trying to solve a murder. I actually thought the perpetrator was relatively obvious from the beginning, but it's not really the Point. Like A Foul Thing, the main purpose of this novella is to enjoy Ben and Mars being a cute couple while being involved in some low-stakes crime. I liked getting to see the two of them together more and enjoyed the playful, yet cherishing nature of their relationship. This novella takes place after FLF, but I'm a little unclear on whether it takes place before or during FHH, my bet is on during but I guess we'll see. The plot here also relates to Dr. Lourens...but also doesn't. I was decidedly pleased when the reveal happened and I thought it was a nice way of tying things together.

#book #books #bookstagram #books and reading #fantasy books #lgbt books #ya book #ya books #ya fantasy #ya historical fantasy #chloe gong #these violent delights #our violent ends #foul lady fortune #last violent call #a foul thing #this foul murder #roma montagov #juliette cai #benedikt montagov #marshall seo #novella #booklr #bookblr #book review #book recommendations #bookaholic #bookaddict #these violent delights spoilers #our violent ends spoilers

[bookishlyvintage]

Green & Gold 🍀

#book stack #green books #gold books #stack challenge #fantasy #ya fantasy #reading #books #bookblr #booklr #stenciled edges #illumicrate #owlcrate #thriller #historical fiction

[flowerish-cherry-blue]

clockwork prince by @cassandraclare

«you speak of sacrifice, but it is not my sacrifice i offer. it is yours i ask of you,» he went on. «i can offer you my life, but it is a short life; i can offer you my heart, though i have no idea how many more beats it shall sustain. but i love you enough to hope that you wil not care that i am being selfish in trying to make the rest of my life - whatever length - happy, by spending it with you. i want to be married to you, tessa. i want it more than i have ever wanted anything else in my life.» he looked up at her through the veil of silvery hair that fell over his eyes. «that is,» he said shyly, «if you love me, too.»

#cassandra clare #the infernal devices #clockwork angel #clockwork prince #clockwork princess #jem carstairs #tessa gray #jessa #books #literature #ya #fiction #fantasy #romance #steampunk #historical fiction #urban fantasy #book quotes

[gracehosborn]

Thinking about the fact that I’m having to start an eighth round of revisions for my sci-fi-fantasy novel, Ink of Destruction has had me looking back at my old drafts over the last four years and it’s quite hilarious to consider that 15 year-old Grace who came up with both IOD and The American Icarus had so much ambition but no sense of scale.

You want to make a magical pen that can alter history itself right before your eyes with the writing of a sentence and thereby alter everyone’s memories? Great! Did you consider that this would create an alternate universe because time itself is having to course correct thanks to whatever you wrote down? No! Welcome to multidimensional theory, 15 year-old Me.

You want to frame your historical epic as having a historical figure sit down and write their voluminous memoirs 200 years after their death because they’re annoyed with how history has treated them and also with the events of your previous novel? Great! Did you consider for instance the fact that in their lifetime, after the death of their lover best friend they only wrote seven sentences about them because it probably hurt too much and/or due to the nature of 18th century society they wouldn’t be able to express their full feelings? And that by you forcing them to sit down and write pages and pages about their interactions with their lover best friend would be giving them a difficult task even after the lapse of two centuries because they couldn’t find the words in the first place? No! Welcome to the nuances of your story structure, 15 year-old Me!

Truly hilarious 😂😂😂

#grace’s random ramble #ink of destruction #IOD #the americsn icarus #TAI #magic system #ya scifi #ya fantasy #alexander hamilton #amrev #john laurens #writers on tumblr #amwriting #historical alexander hamilton #writing community #historical fiction #alternate history #ya writers