As you may have noticed, I lost my blogging energy for several months. I became Director of a public library, signed on to an ALA awards committee and hey, my home country is in crisis. No promises going forward, but here are some overdue reviews of FIVE Red Tower romantasy series-starters I read in the last few months.
Below I talk about Games Gods Play, Bloodguard, The Last One, The Never List and The Half King. A couple of duds and three I enjoyed! I didn't make content notes as I read, but most do have darker themes or scenes.
Ratings are based on whether or not I recommend them to fellow readers - DNF (Did Not Finish), Pass, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary), Read It, Read It Soon.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Games Gods Play (The Crucible, #1), by Abigail Owen
My Verdict: Read It Soon
Hades x Mortal fantasy with trials. I've enjoyed Owen's PNR work in the past, from dragon firefighters with fated mates to a supernatural dating agency, so I expected to love this. Games Gods Play is heavier on the fantasy than the romance, with lots of time spent apart as FMC Lyra grudgingly competes in Zeus's cruel "games." Owen pulls off the slow burn, though, complete with some grade A hurt/comfort.
If you like Carissa Broadbent, this is a good pick! Your enjoyment will be impacted by how much you enjoy books with trials. There've been a lot of those recently and the middle does sag a little as the competitors slog through trial after trial, but some of the mechanics are cool and I found myself sailing through in hopes of getting more time with the romance. The last third is a nailbiter and it ends on a major cliffhanger just as we think our MCs are safe. Extra points for maintaining suspense between books without resorting to a breakup.
I received an ebook copy of this book for review and purchased a copy for myself.
The Last One, by Rachel Howzell Hall
My Verdict: YMMV
I received a copy of this book for review and borrowed the audiobook from my library.
Bloodguard (Old Erth #1), by Cece Robson
My Verdict: Read It Soon
In the crowded romantasy field, this was refreshing. The MMC is a human gladiator and the FMC is an elven noble. The ruler? Abominable as you might expect. The Roman vibes are strong, with enslaved gladiators seeking to win their freedom, but the fantasy elements are just as strong. Monsters in the arena, magic healing abilities, and plenty of scheming. It's a lot of bloody, violent fun with some traumatic events that got my emotions up. It also falls more on the romance side, which I was hoping for after reading a few too many glacially slow burns in this here romantasy land.
I could have done without calling the realm "Erth", though.
One note - I kept seeing this marked as single-POV following the MMC, Leith. The novel is dual-POV, even if the book blurb doesn't convey that.
I received an ebook copy from the publisher for review and purchased my own copy.
The Half King, by Melissa Landers
My Verdict: YMMV
Liars abound in The Half King... and the biggest one might be our heroine. Cerise is second-born, meaning she's been spared the destructive powers possessed by all first-born nobles. Except she doesn't have any powers at all, which makes serving in the eponymous "Half King" Kian's court a bit difficult. As his 21st birthday approaches, Kian loses more of himself to shadow and if they can't find a way to stop it, he'll be lost forever. The world-building is a little light, with possibly good, possibly evil priests and acolytes and cursed nobility populating a physically and morally crumbling court.
This one fell squarely in the middle of the pack for me. The pacing is rather slow in the middle and I was more interested in the secondary curses than in the central romance. The FMC was interesting, however, and I would have spent more time with her and her sister. I'd say this is a good fit for readers who want more NA (new adult) fantasy in their lives, but haven't already read 500 of them. Otherwise, it feels a little same-y.
I purchased this book.
The Never List, by Jade Presley
My Verdict: Read It Soon
Jade Presley's new spicy Why Choose romantasy series kicks off with a ball, four princes seeking their fated mate, and a scrappy young woman who really didn't want to be chosen. Except they're all super hot and she feels connected to them in a way she can't explain. For Romance Reasons, obviously. The Never List delivers exactly what it says on the tin and while it follows many of the Why Choose tropes, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Frankly, this was just plain fun. Presley did a great job making me loathe the antagonists and as the FMC spends a month each with the four men, we get to know them separately and as a group of lifelong friends. Yes, Rylee will be the Chosen One who can unite them according to myth, but they've got a strong bond before she comes along. That's not especially uncommon in Why Choose books, but it's my preferred variant.
I'd recommend this to people looking for a quick, hot read (500 pages somehow fly by) with a cliffhanger ending. I'll definitely pick up the next one!
I received a digital copy of this book for review.
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