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Sovereign: The Gilded King by Josie Jaffrey
In the Blue, the world’s last city, all is not well.
Julia is stuck within its walls. She serves the nobility from a distance until she meets Lucas, a boy who believes in fairytales that Julia’s world can’t accommodate. The Blue is her prison, not her castle, and she’d escape into the trees if she didn’t know that contamination and death awaited humanity outside.
But not everyone in the Blue is human, and not everyone can be contained.
Beyond the city’s boundaries, in the wild forests of the Red, Cameron has precious little humanity left to lose. As he searches for a lost queen, he finds an enemy rising that he thought long dead. An enemy that the humans have forgotten how to fight.
One way or another, the walls of the Blue are coming down. The only question is what side you’ll be on when they do.The Gilded King is the first book of Sovereign, a dystopian+romance+fantasy YA series. When I first read the blurb, the walled-in city setting surrounded by wilderness vaguely reminded me of Shingeki no Kyojin. The similarity ends there. Instead of titans, we get vampires and zombies.
The book splits into two. First is Julia’s story, where she yearns for freedom and reluctantly becomes the Attendant (a job she never wanted) of a Noble because what choice does she have? The Noble, Lucas was not what she expected and she started having conflicting thoughts. I found Julia a bit naive and too careless about revealing her true thoughts, especially to Rufus, Claudia’s Noble, who was not to be trusted. However, I approved of her conviction there there must be something better outside of her station and outside Blue.The fact that she gave it a try and would have gotten farther if not for some unfortunate timing made me root for her.
The second follows the Invicti, Cameron, as he searches for his friend, Emmy, thought to have been lost or dead for centuries. Being hundreds of years old, I expected Cam to act more world weary and well, old but he acts the way he looks which is 21. I liked his determination to find his friend and also, yes! to his slow-burn relationship with Felix.
I admit, I hit a slump at the part where Cam was on his journey and it took me a while to shake it off. I started feeling invested in the story again when Lucas was telling Julia the tale of the Gilded King and Cam fell into a hole and met Felix. After that, the whole thing hit its stride and I couldn’t put it down. The book flipped from Julia’s and Cam’s POVs and each chapter ended with enough suspense and tension to keep readers on the edge.
In terms of world-building, I wasn’t exactly confused but there were some references and backstories I would have understood better if I had read the Solis Invicti series. One particular backstory that piqued my interest is the politics among the Invicti, how Laila became the Empress and what happened to Sol and Emmy. However, there were legends and fairy tales that served as background information and I can safely say readers can read Sovereign as a standalone series.
One thing I especially liked is that this book is a rare beast wherein the female protagonist, Julia and the male protagonist, Cameron, do not end up romantically linked. I make a special mention of this because all too often, the hero and heroine are always a couple. The romance between Julia and Lucas and Cam and Felix progressed at a reasonable pace and developed convincingly. Also major points for treating the gay relationship as normal as the other relationships.
The book also focuses on friendship. Claudia, Julia’s friend, was somebody who I was close to not liking because I thought she was the type who needs rescuing. But girl proved her mettle and her connection with Julia only grew stronger. Marcella is another interesting character and I am curious to find out if she is friend or foe. There was also Cam’s loyalty to Emmy and his friends but the Invicti was not as united as they want the citizens of Blue to think. What happens if they fall apart?
The two POVs merge into a gripping climax as the world they knew was invaded from the outside. There were revelations I didn’t see coming and that ending was damn!
The search for Emmy continues. Would Cam and his friends finally find her? Would Felix reveal his secrets to Cam (and why does Felix smell like nutmeg)? Is Lucas running away from Blue? Will Julia succeed in getting out? And more importantly, what happens if the king and queen wake up? Would they ever see each other again?
Definitely need that second book!
P.S.
Thank you to the author, Josie Jaffrey, for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Hunger Blood
Artist: Lions & Creators
Album: Growing(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40127369-the-gilded-king)
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Witchmark – C.L. Polk
C. L. Polk arrives on the scene with Witchmark, a stunning, addictive fantasy that combines intrigue, magic, betrayal, and romance.
In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a World War, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own.
Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family’s interest or to be committed to a witches’ asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans’ hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is.
When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.
Such a gorgeous cover! Why can’t MM books have covers this classy?
I have been waiting for this book since last year. Reviews say it reads like a fanfiction, albeit a really good one. I agree but a fanfiction of what, I couldn’t guess.
Witchmark introduces us to Dr. Miles Singer, a psychiatrist trying to heal soldiers with PTSD in a veteran’s hospital. This was a time when psychiatry was not yet taken seriously. Miles is also hiding the fact that he is a witch. He covertly uses his healing powers to help the soldiers. He is also keeping a low-profile because he is hiding his true identity.
Tristan Hunter is a mysterious individual with magical powers. He taught Miles how to control his powers. He and Miles conducts an investigation on the death of Nick Elliot who was Miles’ patient. Nick Elliot died shortly after claiming he was murdered. He was also a witch and a journalist.
Miles and Tristan’s romance started with insta-attraction but it also burned slow. I like the friendship that blossomed alongside the low-key romance and although that proposal in the end seemed to come out of nowhere, I’m glad Tristan is not disappearing from Miles’ life anytime soon.
Dame Grace Hensley is Miles’ sister. She is aiming for the position of Voice among the circle of mages. She needs Miles help to boost her candidacy but she promised not to enslave her brother. When she first made an appearance, I was kind of annoyed with her meddling but she redeemed herself in the end.
The world-building is vivid and palpable. Aeland is a nice world to live in if you don’t count the war with Laneer and the fate of witches. It is ruled by Queen Constantina and there are individuals called the Invisibles who have magic powers.
Aeland runs on aether which I guess is like electricity. There are cars and telephones though only the well-off could afford them. There are also trains but many have bicycles. I could imagine myself riding my bicycle on my way to work in this fascinating alternate Edwardian world. It is really my dream to ride my bicycle to work but it is highly impractical in this blazing tropical heat where you arrive at your office badly in need of a shower if you don’t get hit by a car first (no bicycle lanes here).
In this world there are witches and there are mages. It is implied that there is a difference between the two but until now I don’t know why they are different. It was not explained explicitly. However, witches are usually taken to asylums located in remote regions of the country and were never heard from again. The only people who are considered important are the Storm-singers who maintain the pleasant weather of the country. The rest of the magic welders were treated as second class hence the literal name, Secondary. In this kind of scenario, class conflicts and power struggles come into the picture. The book did a good job showing the kind of struggle Miles had to go through to maintain his freedom when he was discovered by his sister to be alive.
The magic system could use some fleshing out. I am the type who likes going through the rules and imagining myself applying the principles of a certain magic system. The author kept it vague and general. As Tristan was teaching Miles how to control his powers it would have been nice if there were more explanations but they took the more intuitive approach, which means, they just wing it.
The ending left me hanging. Shortly after the liberation, Miles woke to find himself under the care of Tristan’s friend. An imminent war is threatening to erupt and it all depends on Miles. Tristan reveals his new ties to Miles and then poof! It ended just like that. I guess we need that second book.
I could say Witchmark was worth the wait. The story was well-written, the characters were well-developed and likable, the mystery was intriguing but overall, the book didn’t quite hit the 5 star mark like I expected it to. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn’t really surprised about anything. There were some well-used tropes and I expected something grander but while it fell short, it did deliver enough goods for me to enjoy myself. The book also didn’t resort to cheap tricks like exaggerate the lust-levels or insert unnecessary sex scenes just to spice things up. In fact, the book has zero steam which makes it my ideal MM book.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Soundtrack: Mysterons
Artist: Portishead
Album: Dummy(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36187110-witchmark)
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A Charm of Magpies: Jackdaw – K.J. Charles
If you stop running, you fall.
Jonah Pastern is a magician, a liar, a windwalker, a professional thief…and for six months, he was the love of police constable Ben Spenser’s life. His betrayal left Ben jailed, ruined, alone, and looking for revenge.
Ben is determined to make Jonah pay. But he can’t seem to forget what they once shared, and Jonah refuses to let him. Soon Ben is entangled in Jonah’s chaotic existence all over again, and they’re running together—from the police, the justiciary, and some dangerous people with a lethal grudge against them.
Threatened on all sides by betrayals, secrets, and the laws of the land, the policeman and the thief must find a way to live and love before the past catches up with them…
A Charm of Magpies linked story, set after Flight of Magpies. Previously published by Samhain.
This is such a delightful, joyful read!
It was a treat to meet Lucien Crane, Stephen Day, Merrick and Saint once again. To see them from the eyes of Ben was double the treat. Crane was still his charming arrogant self and Merrick and Saint got married. I have always loved seeing Day at his job. He’s always been good at it. I never got over his decision.
Jackdaw follows Ben Spenser and Jonah Pastern as they escape the justiciars and the Met. Through out all these, they try to deal with their past relationship, misunderstandings and hurts until they finally found peace in Pellore, Cornwall.
Jonah’s carefree, vibrant attitude just pops out of the page. Charles did a brilliant job creating vivid pictures of windwalking. I could practically feel the wind and see the sky and feel that tingling feeling you get when you are at a high place. Ben was the steadfast, serious type, a good grounding point and conscience for his flighty lover. I felt sorry for the two of them. I think they were trying really hard.
The writing was excellent as always. The words just flow in a way that you couldn’t stop reading. I love the wit, the humor and all the feels. There was just the right amount of angst, pain and hurt to get the point across without plunging into the depths of unbearable misery that is painful to read. For me, this book is bright afternoon sunshine, the kind that makes you hop on your bicycle, pedal up a hill and swoop down with your arms out, wind in your face.
P.S.
To fully appreciate Jackdaw, please read the A Charm of Magpie Series firstRating:
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Blood Under My Belt
Artist: The Drums
Album: Abysmal Thoughts(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34861586-jackdaw)
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Whyborne & Griffin: Draakenwood – Jordan L. Hawk
Someone is killing members of the old families…and the evidence points to Whyborne.
Widdershins has been unusually quiet for months. But now a mysterious creature from the Outside is on the loose, assassinating members of the town’s old families by draining their blood. Whyborne and Griffin set out to solve the mystery—but as the evidence piles up, the police begin to suspect Whyborne himself is the murderer.
Now Whyborne must both clear his name and stop the horrors the monster threatens to unleash. His only hope: an alliance with his old enemies the Endicotts.
Because something terrible lurks in the Draakenwood, and it will stop at nothing to seize control of the maelstrom itself.
Draakenwood is the ninth book in the Whyborne & Griffin series, where magic, mystery, and m/m romance collide with Victorian era America.
Niles apparently likes giving Griffin gifts. That Niles accepts Griffin as Whyborne’s husband and treats him as such are major points in his favor and I’m glad he and Whyborne are getting along albeit grudgingly.
Miss Parkhurst and Persephone’s relationship was finally revealed to Whyborne and it is one of the funniest scenes in the book. That Miss Parkhurst finally had major page time was long overdue and well-deserved.
Detective Tilton is another recurring character I like. That he knows how things work in Widdershins and what’s going on between Whyborne and Griffin but kept it to himself makes him a good ally.
Iskander meets somebody who has connections with his mother. That he had to have a fight about it with Christine was a pity but I’m glad that he, like Griffin, found a true home and family.
Whyborne and Persephone work in tandem to do some awesome mindblowing magic. That it was Stanford who…, well…why is it always Stanford?
Draakenwood gripped me from the start. I really like it when the focus is Widdershins and I have always been curious about the Old Families. Here, the Fidelus plot was continued and Endicott cousins show up. Personally I’m hoping these long awaited masters would make their appearance already. But, as expected of the series, we’re in for a lot of action and nail biting moments in between moments of romance and comedy. This is already book 9 and I’m still as excited about this series as I was when I started. That it ended with a cliffhanger promises of more W&G goodness to come.
Rating
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Bad Blood
Artist: Royal Trux
Album:(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33506227-draakenwood)
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Whyborne & Griffin: Fallow – Jordan L. Hawk
When Griffin’s past collides with his present, will it cost the lives of everyone he loves?
Between the threat of a world-ending invasion from the Outside and unwelcome revelations about his own nature, Percival Endicott Whyborne is under a great deal of strain. His husband, Griffin Flaherty, wants to help—but how can he, when Whyborne won’t tell him what’s wrong?
When a man from Griffin’s past murders a sorcerer, the situation grows even more dire. Once a simple farmer from Griffin’s hometown of Fallow, the assassin now bears a terrifying magical corruption, one whose nature even Whyborne can’t explain.
To keep Griffin’s estranged mother safe, they must travel to a dying town in Kansas. But as drought withers the crops of Fallow, a sinister cult sinks its roots deep into the arid soil. And if the cult’s foul harvest isn’t stopped in time, Fallow will be only the first city to fall.
Fallow is the eighth book in the Whyborne & Griffin series, where magic, mystery, and m/m romance collide with Victorian era America.
Hmm…I don’t know. This is Griffin’s story and it’s about time he got his closure but I feel this might be the weakest installment of the series. All the usual patterns were there, like Whyborne being overly dramatic about his relationship with Griffin, (Good gad man, your husband already declared he would rather watch the world burn than leave you so stop being so damn insecure!), bad sorcerers popping up, monsters wreaking havoc and mayhem and traitorous relatives. I think by this time our foursome should have learned their lessons already. However, this book still moved the overarching plot forward with the Fidelus making their move, Griffin facing his past, talking it out with his Ma and putting it all behind him. There’s pain and sadness at the parting but there a lot of happiness too, because he found his true home and family.
“I’d been at my very worst. My lowest point; hurt and fractured, my nights shattered by terrifying fits. Wounded, body and soul.And that was when it chose me. Because in whatever inhuman way the maelstrom perceived the world, it saw worth in me even then. Even when no one else had.”
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: I Have Made Mistakes
Artist: The Oh Hellos
Album: Through the Deep, Dark Valley(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30962644-fallow)
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Whyborne & Griffin: Maelstrom – Jordan L. Hawk
Between his father’s sudden—and rather suspicious—generosity, and his own rash promise to help Christine plan her wedding, Percival Endicott Whyborne has quite enough to worry about. But when the donation of a mysterious codex to the Ladysmith Museum draws the attention of a murderous cult, Whyborne finds himself in a race against time to unlock its secrets first.
Griffin has a case of his own: the disappearance of an historic map, which quickly escalates to murder. Someone is sacrificing men in dark rituals—and all the clues lead back to the museum.
With their friends Christine and Iskander, Whyborne and Griffin must discover the cult’s true goal before it’s too late. For dark forces are afoot at the very heart of the museum, and they want more than Whyborne’s codex.
They want his life.
Widdershins is what it’s all about this time. The gang is back in town to face another dark cult and more Lovecraftian abominations. Christine is getting cold feet about her upcoming wedding and drives Iskander crazy. The ladies, Miss Parkhurst and Persephone, help out with the wedding plans and Miss Parkhurst gets a new crush. Whyborne is suspicious about his father’s acts of generosity while Griffin gets an odd case and of course, involves his sorcerer husband in the investigation. Various threads from previous books were picked up and followed through. There were a lot of familiar and expected elements, given that this is book 7 already but the author was able to create fresh arcs, interesting twists and power ups that kept the whole thing from getting stale. The characters continue to develop, the librarians had exciting endeavors and at the end of it all, here I am thinking Durfee & Farr should get their own story.
P.S.,
This is the last book with this kind of monotone cover. I’m going to miss this as the models really fit the W&G in my head.Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Spiral Twist
Artist: Siouxsie and the Banshees
Album:(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27799890-maelstrom)
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Whyborne & Griffin: Hoarfrost – Jordan L. Hawk
Sorcerer Percival Endicott Whyborne and his husband Griffin Flaherty have enjoyed an unprecedented stretch of peace and quiet. Unfortunately, the calm is shattered by the arrival of a package from Griffin’s brother Jack, who has uncovered a strange artifact while digging for gold in Alaska. The discovery of a previously unknown civilization could revive the career of their friend Dr. Christine Putnam—or it might kill them all, if the hints of dark sorcery surrounding the find are true.
With Christine and her fiancé Iskander, Whyborne and Griffin must journey to the farthest reaches of the arctic to stop an ancient evil from claiming the life of Griffin’s brother. But in the rough mining camp of Hoarfrost, secrets fly as thickly as the snow, and Whyborne isn’t the only sorcerer drawn by the rumors of magic. Amidst a wilderness of ice and stone, Griffin must either face his greatest fear—or lose everyone he loves.
I really enjoyed this one, especially the latter parts. Whyborne and Griffin found old enemies and unlikely allies. We also get Griffin’s POV and Whyborne meets his brother-in-law!
I have listened to an H.P. Lovecraft audiobook,
At the Mountains of Madness ,that inspired this tale. And boy, was it a mind-numbing litany of architectural details. I like the mythos but the stories themselves (the few I have read) were not that entertaining. However, Jordan L. Hawk did a good job of remaking the original into something more suspenseful, action-packed and dare I say, more entertaining. This series just keeps getting better and better. Now, I wonder what’s up with the Ladysmith librarians…
Rating:
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Northern Lights
Artist: St. Vincent
Album: Strange Mercy(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24901214-hoarfrost)
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Kria: Bound – Megan Derr
Ingolf von Dirchs is all that remains of the royal house of Kria. The bastard son of the dead Kaiser, he barely escapes the winter palace before it is overtaken by the armies of Salhara, Kria’s oldest and bitterest enemy. In a last desperate attempt to combat Salhara’s deadly magic, Ingolf flees to the country of Illussor, there to steal the sword of a man who once betrayed Kria to side with Illussor. But stealing the sword gains him something he did not expect—the descendant of that long ago Betrayer, an intriguing man with the pale features of an Illussor but the fierce heart of a Krian…
Erich von Adolwulf is the proud descendant of the Holy General, a man who helped Illussor break free of the loathsome magic upon which they once so heavily relied… When the sword of the Holy General is stolen, Erich goes to reclaim it, and finds himself dragged into the country his ancestor once betrayed—and wanting to protect the new Kaiser of war-ravaged Kria, who stirs in him things he has not felt since the death of his lover…
I really couldn’t get myself to care about these people. The only time I perk up was whenever Beraht and Dieter were mentioned. I’m sorry but I DNF’ed this. Hopefully I’ll give this another go in the future. Or find the audiobook.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
Soundtrack: Bite
Artist: Troye Sivan
Album: Blue Neighborhood -
Tensorate: The Black Tides of Heaven – J.Y. Yang
Mokoya and Akeha, the twin children of the Protector, were sold to the Grand Monastery as children. While Mokoya developed her strange prophetic gift, Akeha was always the one who could see the strings that moved adults to action. While his sister received visions of what would be, Akeha realized what could be. What’s more, he saw the sickness at the heart of his mother’s Protectorate.
A rebellion is growing. The Machinists discover new levers to move the world every day, while the Tensors fight to put them down and preserve the power of the state. Unwilling to continue to play a pawn in his mother’s twisted schemes, Akeha leaves the Tensorate behind and falls in with the rebels. But every step Akeha takes towards the Machinists is a step away from his sister Mokoya. Can Akeha find peace without shattering the bond he shares with his twin sister?
I read this because the cover, by Yuko Shimizu, is really cool. Also the reviews are mostly 5 or 4 stars. My reaction echoes that of those who gave fewer stars.
This is a highly original novella that presented a world that works on nature magic to power technology, where people are genderless until they confirm their chosen gender and where matriarchy is the norm. The story follows the twins, Mokoya and Akeha from childhood, teens to adulthood. The twins were sent to a monastery as bargaining chips by their mother, the Protector. They learned to use the Slack, the magic system of the Tensorate world, which is probably similar to qi. Mokoya then revealed her prophetic gift and the twins were soon returned to the Protectorate palace. When they were almost 17, Mokoya confirmed she was a girl and the issue of gender identity was explored.This is the part of the story that was interesting and well-developed.
The second half of the story follows Akeha as he struck out on his own and got entangled with the Machinists. Here, things happened but I didn’t really care much about them because they just sort of happened and not elaborated upon. Generally, I felt the story had a lot of interesting ideas and plot threads but lacked details or follow up. I love the authenticity of having an Asian author create an Asian-based world and this book could have been up there with the great ones had the entire Tensorate world been more fleshed out.
Rating
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it
Soundtrack: Star Sign
Artist: Teenage Fanclub
Album: Bandwagonesque(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33099588-the-black-tides-of-heaven)
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Hexworld: Hexslayer – Jordan L. Hawk
Horse shifter Nick has one rule: never trust a witch.
Nick has devoted his life to making his saloon a safe haven for the feral familiars of New York. So when a brutal killer slaughters a feral under his protection, Nick has no choice but to try and catch the murderer. Even if that means bonding with a handsome Irish witch.
Officer Jamie MacDougal came back from the war in Cuba missing part of a leg and most of his heart. After his former lover becomes one of the killer’s victims, Jamie will do anything to solve the case.
Nick comes to Jamie with a proposal: after making a temporary bond, they will work together to stop the murders. Once the killer is caught, they walk away and never see one another again.
It sounds simple enough. But the passion that flares between the two men won’t be so easily extinguished. And if Nick can’t learn to trust his witch, he stands to lose everything—including his life.
I was excited to read this installment since there were a lot of hype and 5-star reviews and I could definitely say they were all very much well-deserved! Hexslayer is my favorite addition to this series so far. It was longer than the other books but I couldn’t stop reading it. The action and mystery got me hooked from the beginning. I was also happy that the other couples had a lot of page time and I am looking forward to more of that in the next book (hopefully Isaac and Bill Quigley). This book is everything but missed the 5-star mark by a hair’s breadth meaning I loved everything about it, I liked Nick and Jamie, I like them together but their romance wasn’t quite as squee-inducing as I hoped. However that is just me as other people were pretty happy with the two of them. Overall, still the best book of the series to date.
P.S. I want a Hexworld movie. Somebody make this happen please!
Rating:
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Wooden Horse
Artist: Suzanne Vega
Album: Solitude Standing(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36225312-hexslayer)
