Red Winter Trilogy by Annette Marie [Series Review]

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SERIES: Red Winter Trilogy
PUBLICATION DATES: October 2016 – April 2017
AUTHOR:Annette Marie
GENRE: Urban-fantasy, Magic, Mythology, Romance, Adventure
PUBLISHER: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
SYNOPSIS:

Emi has spent her entire life hiding from the creatures that hunt her. The savage earth spirits are determined to kill her before she can become the living host of a goddess, so she stays hidden—until the day she saves the life of one of her hunters.

Shiro isn’t the harmless fox spirit she thought he was. He’s mysterious, cunning, unpredictable…and now hers to command. He’s sworn to pay his debt to her, but he doesn’t know who she is. If he finds out, he’ll kill her.

But she can’t send him away—not yet. Her future isn’t what she thought. The lies surrounding her fate have begun to unravel, and she needs answers before time runs out—answers that lie in the spirit realm. Shiro can take her there…if she dares to trust him.

And only then will she find out how deep the gods’ treachery runs.

 

 

This was my first book by Annette Marie and my first buddy read with Jen@starcrossedbookblog and Sophie@bewareofthereader. I’m a huge fan of Japanese mythology and I’ve wanted to read this trilogy for a long time. I’m so happy to share that it didn’t disappoint me. It was quite an addictive series. Trust me, You don’t want to stop after you get into this world. We honestly didn’t expect to buddy read the entire trilogy but we couldn’t stop after finishing book one. It has captivating characters, incredible magic, amazing world building, and beautiful illustrations.

SYNOPSIS

The series follows Emi who had spent her whole life training to become the next living host for the sun goddess Amaterasu. She was hiding from the earth’s demonic creatures who wants to kill her before she becomes the goddess’s host. When Emi discovers a horrible secret about her fate, she escapes from her safe haven to search for the answers. On her way, she encounters a harmless fox spirit who’s being chased by a monster. She saves him by risking her life even though it’s against the temples rules. Soon she finds out that he’s actually a kitsune, a fox shifter who  seems to be very mysterious and cunning. He can’t leave her side without paying his debt to her so he becomes her temporary protector. Emi needs Shiro’s help but she couldn’t reveal her true identity as kamigakari. Luckily she’s also getting help from a broody Tengu named Yumei who has his own agenda. Together they embark on a dangerous journey and they encounter different types of Yokai that tries to kill them. During her journey, Emi discovers some shocking secrets and she might be the only hope that can save the world.

CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS

EMI was a pretty likable character. She’s a brave heroine with a strong determination and a soft personality. I enjoyed her character development throughout the series.  She lived a sheltered life blindly believing others lies. I felt pretty bad that she sacrificed her time with her parents just for being the chosen one. Being a kamikagari means staying pure body and soul for their whole lives. I’m glad that Emi finally realized to search for the answers before it was too late.  SHIRO was definitely the star of the series. His swoon worthy looks and flirty attitude will captivate every girl. I found his character very much enjoyable. His past was a mystery and with each book the author slowly revealed his true identity. YUMEI is another major character in this series. If you like your heroes dark, complex, mysterious, and broody then this guy is just for you. He’s sort of shiro’s friend and also a tengu, a supernatural creature who’s half human and half bird. He acts pretty cold and he has this dark aura that makes everybody fear him, but he also has a soft side. He always stole the spotlight whenever he made an entrance. KATSUO is Emi’s sohei protector and her friend. He supported her in everything and was always there for her whenever she needed help. It’s pretty easy to guess that he has a forbidden crush on her. I really admired the friendship between them but I still can’t ship them.

The relationship between Shiro and Emi was definitely a slow burn. I’m glad that it wasn’t a insta-love. Their every interaction was pretty fun. There’s barely any romance in the first book, but don’t worry you still won’t be disappointed. As expected there’s a light triangle in this series, but it wouldn’t effect your reading pleasure. The friendship between Shiro, Yumei, and Emi was well developed. Despite their differences and trust issues, they worked well together.

PLOT, WRITING, & WORLDBUILDING

The plot was engaging throughout. From the start to the end of the series, the author never failed to keep our interest. The entire series felt like watching an action packed anime series. There’s forbidden romance, adventure, yokai battles, and friendships. With each book, the series gets better. There’s so many twists and turns. The action scenes were well executed. I loved the author’s writing style. The world building was amazing and I enjoyed every part of it. It was based on a Japanese mythology and set in a modern world. It might seem a bit confusing at the beginning if you’re new to Japanese mythology and shinto Gods, but it’ll get easier after the first book. The magical system was very unique. And also another interesting thing about this series was the gorgeous art. Guys, there’re beautiful illustrations in each book. I wish all the fantasy authors do these type of illustrations. I absolutely loved them!

FINAL VERDICT

Buddy reading this trilogy was a great and fun experience. I enjoyed the whole series but my favorite was definitely the second book. The story finally concludes with a satisfying ending, but I’m really gonna miss the characters especially Shiro and Yumei.

RECOMMEND IT?

If you like YA fantasy inspired by Japanese mythology then you really need to check out this series. I highly recommend it!

SERIES RATING:

[4/5 Stars]

RED WINTER#1: 4/5 stars
DARK TEMPTATION#2: 4/5 stars
IMMORTAL FIRE#3: 4/5 Stars

So, What do you think of this series? Have you read it yet? Do you Plan to read it?
Please feel free to comment below!

See You In The Next Post and Have a Great Day! 🙂

 

Zodiac Academy: Ruthless Fae: An Academy Bully Romance (Supernatural Beasts and Bullies #2) By Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti [Review]

RELEASE DATE: August 30th 2019
AUTHORS: Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti
GENRE:    New-Adult, Paranoraml Fantasy, Romance.
PUBLISHER:  
SUMMARY:

They tried to break us.
They almost did.
But we’re not going anywhere.

The Celestial Heirs think the stars are on their side. But they don’t know what’s coming.

Fighting them one on one isn’t an option so we have to be stealthy. Remaining under the radar won’t be easy, but if we pull it off, they’ll never suspect our involvement when their lives start falling apart.

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Besides, they’ve already taken us to the brink of hell, what more can they really do?

 

Ruthless Fae was a hilarious sequel to the first installment The Awakening. This entire book was quite an entertainer and I enjoyed it even more than the first book. The authors has done a great job in keeping the readers addicted to it. It was 500+ pages and I flew through it easily without any struggle. And before I knew it, I’ve finished it. There’s lots of  humor, action, fun, craziness, friendship, and forbidden romance in it. If you like supernatural books with boarding school setting then you must not miss this series. The following review contains minor spoilers for the first book.

After the betrayal from the Celestial heirs, both the twins Tory and Darcy decides to leave the school. Unfortunately, they get caught by Professor Orion who convinces them to stay, but they wouldn’t forget the humiliation and the torment. So they decide to get revenge on the celestial heirs. They pull pranks on them by staying under the radar and they don’t even suspect that it was them. With each prank, their life starts to fall apart. Both the sisters won’t stop even if they’re going to risk their wrath.

This book has multiple main characters. Besides the twins, I loved Professor Orion, Darius, and Caleb. I also liked Max and Seth, but they’re more like secondary characters. After the events in the first book, both sisters are not naive and they’re very much determined to get back at the heirs. They can’t forget the torment and cruelty they had faced. Tory is angry with Caleb for deceiving her and he tries to make amends with her. The chemistry between them is scorching hot. They’re currently not in a serious relationship. Darius on the other hand is broody as always. There’s something going on between him and Tory. I’m currently rooting for these two. Coming up next is Professor Orion and Darcy. They’re my favorite ship in this book. I’m really loving the forbidden slow burn romance between them. We also get to know more about Max and Seth. I’m really not fan of them in the first book, but after reading this book, I’m hating them less now. We finally get the answers about Orion and Darius. Now I’m even more interested to read their backstory novella.

The plot was hilarious and engaging throughout. Even though there’s not much progress in the plot, It was really hard to put this down. There’s never a dull moment. Most of the story was about the twins playing pranks on the heirs and trust me, the pranks they played were hilarious even though some of them were a bit childish. I can’t stop laughing! Besides that, we also get some secret revelations in the second half and the last part was pretty intense. It kept me on the edge of the seat. The writing was addicting. The story was written in multiple POV’s. The boarding school setting was perfect, but I hope we get to explore more of Solaria in the next book.

Overall, it was a fantastic read! I laughed so hard while reading this book(especially the pegasus part) and that’s why it deserves more than 4 stars. Can’t wait to read the next book.

Recommend it?
A HUGE YES!

I highly recommend this book, if you’re looking for a new adult supernatural bully romance filled with lots of humor and action.

MY RATING:

[4.5/5 Stars]

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So, What do you think of this book? Have you read it yet? Do you Plan to read it?
Please feel free to comment below!

See You In The Next Post and Have a Great Day! 🙂

 

Only Ashes Remain (Market of Monsters #2) By Rebecca Schaeffer [Review]

RELEASE DATE: September 3rd 2019
AUTHOR: Rebecca Schaeffer
GENRE:    Young-Adult,  Dark, Urban-Fantasy, Supernatural.
PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers
SUMMARY:

After escaping her kidnappers and destroying the black market where she was held captive, all Nita wants is to find a way to live her life without looking over her shoulder. But with a video of her ability to self-heal all over the dark web, Nita knows she’s still a prime target on the black market.

There’s only one way to keep herself safe.

Dual Reviews: Touch (Selfish Myths #1) By Natalia Jaster | Clouded By Envy By Candace Robinshon

RELEASE DATE: May 24th 2018
AUTHOR: Natalia Jaster
GENRE:    New-Adult, Paranormal, Retellings, Mythology, Romance.
PUBLISHER:   Natalia Jaster
SUMMARY:

Could you sacrifice the person you love to save your world? 

Love is an immortal bad girl. With a mischievous smirk and a strike of her arrow, she pins human hearts together.But Love has never loved. Not until she wreaks havoc in a frostbitten forest, hunting for the perfect mortal amusement.
Yet Andrew isn’t an easy target.

Her Dark Legion (The Messenger Chronicles #5) By Pippa DaCosta [Review]

RELEASE DATE: May 07th  2019
AUTHOR: Pippa DaCosta
GENRE:    New-Adult, Sci-fi, fantasy, Adventure, Reverse Harem, Fae .
PUBLISHER:   Crazy Ace Publishing

SUMMARY :

“I’ve come too far to surrender now…”

Eledan’s nightmare has been unleashed upon the worlds and with Oberon gone, only the messenger crew stand in its way.

Kellee, Talen, Sirius, Sota, and Kesh. Together, they are stronger, but there are forces on Faerie who do not want the worlds saved, forces that would see the Messenger and her crew torn apart.

Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1) By Ilona Andrews [Review]

RELEASE DATE: December 2nd 2013 
AUTHOR: Ilona Andrews
GENRE: Adult, Sci-fi, Urban-Fantasy, Magic.    
SUMMARY: 

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is…different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, “normal” is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

The Guardian (The Immortal Dealers #2) By Sarah Fine [ARC Review]

RELEASE DATE: October 23th 2018 
AUTHOR: Sarah Fine
GENRE:  New-Adult, urban Fantasy, Magic, Adventure.  
PUBLISHER: 47North
SUMMARY:

Life and death are a gamble for a girl fighting to save humanity in a world she’s only beginning to understand.

One minute, Ernestine “Ernie” Terwilliger was a fairly normal young woman with an almost normal life. Absent father. Peculiar mother. Family secrets. The next, she was hurled into a land where the Immortal Dealers are waging a battle between good and evil—and where the fate of the world is in the cards.

Having only started to master her own deck, the inexperienced Ernie places the wrong bet on the right guy at the worst time.

Not Even Bones (Market of Monsters #1) By Rebecca Schaeffer [Review]

RELEASE DATE: September 04th, 2018
AUTHORS: Rebecca Schaeffer
GENRE:   Young-Adult, Paranormal, dark, Fantasy, Horror.
PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers.
SUMMARY:

Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” Then her mom brings home a living specimen, and Nita decides she wants out. But there’s a problem: Nita herself is supernatural being and a prime target for the black market if anyone ever found out. When Nita decides to help her mother’s latest victim escape, she ends up taking his place instead. Nita did a good deed, and it cost her everything. Now she needs to escape and make sure no one can ever sell her again. And to do that, there’s no line Nita won’t cross.

The Serpent(The Immortal Dealers #1) By Sarah fine [Review]

RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2018
AUTHORS: Sarah Fine
GENRE: Adult, Urban-fantasy, Magic.
PUBLISHER: 47North
SUMMARY:

 One woman is in a world of otherworldly trouble—and she’s going to have to bet her life to save humankind.

Ernestine “Ernie” Terwilliger has put her dreams aside to look after her eccentric mother. Case in point: saving her from a mysterious stranger who’s just stormed the terrified woman’s antique store wearing a rattlesnake tattoo, leveling threats, and brandishing the weirdest deck of cards Ernie’s ever seen.

When Ernie grabs some of the cards and runs, she’s launched into a world she never knew existed—one her mother may know more about than she’s revealing.

Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) By Rebecca Roanhorse [Review]

RELEASE DATE: June 26th 2018
AUTHOR:  Rebecca Roanhorse
GENRE: New-Adult, Urban-Fantasy, Supernatural, Dystopia, Mythology. 
PUBLISHER: Saga Press
SUMMARY:

While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters.

Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine.