A Double Review of Eidolon by Grace Draven
Today Kim and I bring you a double review of Eidolon by Grace Draven! This is the second novel in the Wraith Kings series. And we both gave it four stars!
Eidolon
Series: Wraith Kings #2
Author: Grace Draven
Published: April 18, 2016
292 Pages
Book Description:
In a bid for more power, the Shadow Queen of Haradis has unleashed a malignant force into the world. Her son Brishen, younger prince of the Kai royal house, suddenly finds himself ruler of a kingdom blighted by a diseased darkness and on the brink of war. His human wife Ildiko must decide if she will give up the man she loves in order to secure his throne.
Three enemy kingdoms must unite to save each other, and a one-eyed, reluctant king must raise an army of the dead to defeat an army of the damned.
A tale of alliance and sacrifice.
Kim’s Rating: 4 stars
Kim’s Review:
Sequels aren’t usually this good! But I really liked Eidolon. The characters were consistent with what we learned about them in the first book, the action was almost as good, and I’m left wanting to hear more of Brishen and Ildiko’s story. My only real criticism is that I felt the solution to defeating the galla, which shall remain unspoiled for those who haven’t read it, was a little anticlimactic. For all the grief and stress and resistance to said solution, it seemed awfully easy once it started. But the emotions and anticipation beforehand and after was really good and I was quite involved throughout the reading. Overall, this is a great book and I look forward to continuing the series!
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Dates Read: July 9-25, 2022
Format Read: Kindle e-book
Jessica’s Review:
Eidolon is the second in the Wraith Kings series and we continue Brishen and Ildko’s story. But all is not a happy story as we start out with the fall of the royal family. And now the former unimportant ‘spare heir’ Brishen finds himself to have to serve as king with a human wife who will not be able bear him children to continue the family line.
We have their continuing love story with complications and an unknown future for the entire kingdom. We do get much more action with this one as we have a battle that has to happen and Brishen will risk everything. And what decision will Ildiko have to make? We have a love or duty strain going on. But reading the story we know something else is coming that could change everything!
And we still have the sexual tension between Serovek and Anhuset to come! Their story is book three and I am really looking forward to it: They constantly bicker, but Serovek is fun and flirty while Anhuset is a stubborn badass. I have really enjoyed her in the two previous books as I always enjoy a strong female character, and look forward to learning more about her and see her shine!
I have enjoyed both Radiance and Eidolon, along with Brishen and Ildiko’s story. They are just perfect for each other despite the many differences they overcame in Radiance. Romance is not my main genre of choice, but I have enjoyed this series so far and giving both a 4 star reviews says something for Draven’s writing!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Audiobook Review: Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Kay
Booked on a Feeling
Series: A Sweet Mess #3
Author: Jayci Lee
Narrator: Cindy Kay
Published: July 26, 2022
Audiobook
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: July 13-18, 2022
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Lizzy “Overachiever” Chung, Esq. has her life mapped out neatly:
* Become a lawyer. Check.
* Join a prestigious law firm. Check.
* Make partner. In progress.
If all goes to plan, she will check off that last box in a couple years, make her parents proud, and live a successful, fulfilled life in L.A. What was not in her plans was passing out from a panic attack during a pivotal moment in her career. A few deep breaths and a four-hour drive later, Lizzy is in Weldon for three weeks to shed the burnout and figure out what went wrong. And what better place to recharge than the small California town where she spent her childhood summers with her best friend, Jack Park.
Jack Park didn’t expect to see Lizzy back in Weldon, but now he’s got three weeks to spend with the girl of his dreams. Except she doesn’t know of his decades-long crush on her–and he intends to keep it that way. She’s a high-powered attorney who lives in L.A. and he’s a bookkeeper at his family’s brewery who never left his hometown. He can’t risk their friendship on a long shot. Can he? When Lizzy decides that the local bookstore needs a little revamp, of course, Jack is going to help her bring it back to life. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore there might be more than just friendship among the dusty shelves and books…
Sometimes the path to the rest of your life has been in front of you all along.
Jessica’s Review:
This one was a fun, adorable, and at times frustrating read! I did not realize it is the third in a series, but looking at the description of the other two books, I don’t believe you need to have read them first. We have Lizzy who is Asian, which was a nice change as we get to see a small side of Asian culture and families.
Lizzy has just won her first big court case, and to celebrate she takes three weeks off! A lawyer taking off 3 weeks?!?! That just doesn’t happen. But it was needed because Lizzy passed out due to a panic attack in front of the jury….
Lizzy returns to her hometown to relax and meets up with her lifelong friend Jack. And Jack has been in love with Lizzy for 20+ years, yet she doesn’t know it. She sees Jack as her lifelong best friend. While on ‘vacation’ Lizzy decides to help out the owner of the local bookstore and try to revitalize it. Jack also decides to help as it lets him spend more time with Lizzy. But can friends become lovers and not lose what they have had for their whole lives?
We also have both Lizzy and Jack having to discover what they want for themselves in their selective careers, which they actually keep from each other. And being part of an Asian family can complicate things with parental expectations, which we see over the course of the novel in several ways.
Booked on a Feeling surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. Jack was so adorable with his feelings for Lizzy and what he should do. His internal dialogue shows how much he truly loves her, but afraid to share his feelings because he doesn’t want to lose her. And then her internal dialogue! It just became frustrated because I just wanted them to hurry up and get together. And there is some really good sex in this one too!
If you enjoy the friends to lovers trope with family complications thrown in you should enjoy this one. If you love books and bookstores, (and what reader doesn’t?) you must read this one! Close to the end it becomes a sort of type story and I was hoping we get to see Lizzy and Jack finally get together!
Cindy Kay also did a great job with her narration!
I really enjoyed this one and I find myself wanting to check out the first two novels in this series! Many thanks the publisher Dreamscape Media for granting me a copy to listen to and review.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
[Top]
A Double Review of Radiance by Grace Draven
Today Kim and I bring you a double review of Radiance by Grace Draven! This is the first in the series, and is way out of my normal genres I read! But we both gave it four stars, so that is saying something!
Radiance
Series: Wraith Kings #1
Author: Grace Draven
Published: January 13, 2015
297 Pages
Book Description:
The Prince of no value:
Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined.
The noblewoman of no importance:
Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn’t just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she’s known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light.
Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.
Kim’s Rating: 4 stars
Kim’s Review:
I think Beccie and I have found our groove with Buddy Reads! And this time we brought Yami and Jessica along with us! I’ve heard good things about this book for a while. I’ll admit that it wasn’t what I was expecting; that’s the only reason I gave 4 stars. When I read a romance book, I like smut. This book didn’t have much. But, for a romance book, the plotline was deeper than I expected. And I enjoyed it! I definitely plan on reading more of the series. I also liked the characters. Brishen was pretty stereotypical, but Ildiko surprised me. I really liked her. Normally, I’m not a fan of female characters, but she was likable and consistent. She wasn’t stupid nor did she behave stupidly. Even the villain was beautiful and terrifying and I enjoyed hating her! Overall, an excellent example of quality fantasy romance!
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Dates Read: June 23-July 6, 2022
Format Read: Kindle e-book
Jessica’s Review:
This one was a buddy read with Beccie, Yami, and Kim. Though I was the slow reader of the group as they all finished it within a few days of starting! Radiance was very much out of my comfort zone with reading in both Fantasy and Romance genres, I did not know what I was going to think of it. Surprise for me: I actually enjoyed it!
We have two people Ildiko and Brishen who are from different species that are forced to marry for their peoples. Brishen is the ‘spare heir’ of no importance who is Kai and Ildiko is of Human royal blood, but also not of enough importance. It is a marriage bound together for a treaty. Both find each other physically revolting, and their first meeting is entertaining at times.
We get to see the differences in the two species both physically and how they live and what they even eat. ( A strong dislike for potatoes for Brishen and for Ildiko as she discovers scarpatine pie… This is something no human would ever want to eat!) But out of their marriage of convenience comes a respect for each other which leads to friendship and humor and eventual love . It is a slow burner romance, so don’t go looking for smut right away because you won’t get it. They are both smart and very mature which this makes a good love story!
There isn’t much that goes on in the story until closer to the end and then we get some action! It seems that Draven is saving the action for the second in the series, which I will be reading.
I really liked Ildiko and Brishen, but his mother…well… You will just have read Radiance to see… His mother is truly a piece of work….
For a novel that is out of my genre, I think four stars is a very good review, and the fact that I will be starting the second says something. Maybe I really am starting to expand my horizons in reading.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
