Smith

Review of Enchantra by Kaylie Smith

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Synopsis:
Welcome to Enchantra. There’s only one rule: Never, ever trust your heart.

When Genevieve Grimm’s mother is killed, Genevieve wants answers nobody can give… until she receives an invitation to Enchantra, a cursed palace filled with temptations and illusions.

Arrogant and dangerously handsome, Rowin Silver meets her at the door and refuses to let her inside. But Genevieve finds her own way in… And soon realizes her mistake.

Enchantra is a twisted labyrinth of marble and thorns, where Rowin’s family are trapped forever in a deadly game. Now, Genevieve must win or die.

Rowin offers her a deal. They can compete together… if they convince everyone watching that they’re desperately in love.

Genevieve knows she can’t trust Rowin, but she’ll do whatever it takes to survive. As they hunt and hide together, Genevieve tries to ignore the desire burning between them. She absolutely cannot fall for this man. Cannot forget that she’s only pretending to be in love.

After all, it was Rowin who taught her Enchantra’s first rule… Never, ever trust your heart.

Review:
“…you have to choose to live for yourself. You are the most real thing you’ll ever be able to experience.” (Page 332)

Oh my goodness, Kaylie Smith knocked another right out of the park. I wasn’t sure that a story about Genevieve would hit as hard and well as Ophelia’s but this book totally stands on its own and is awesome. I loved all the background bits of Genevieve that were alluded to in Phantasma but not seen, and Rowin with Genevieve is just perfection. I think Enchantra’s games were an excellent change from those of Phantasma, and the way Rowin and Genevieve’s relationship bloomed was mere perfection. The enemies to lovers arc was prevalent, and it was great to see that even when Rowin was upset or exasperated with Genevieve he never once got upset with her for being herself. Neither character was expected to make a sudden shift in personality, which was quite nice as most novels hinge on that need for change that just happens.

This book did deal with some very real issues that people face; being put on the backburner by parents, not feeling adequate/good enough for partners, not feeling a sense of belonging. While Genevieve might have gone to the extreme to try to find someone who could understand, these are feelings that many know all too well. Even Rowin experiences the lack of understanding between siblings that so many have constant struggles with. No family is perfect, even those who do have a united front, and this was displayed very admirably in how conscious one has to be in order to have/give the support needed in life.

This book featured great atmosphere with well drawn out, well described landscapes, as well as interpersonal connections and stories that are impossible not to want to know more of and get lost inside. The spice level was just the right amount and well done. I highly recommend this book for any Dark Fantasy/Romantasy readers, as I eagerly await book 3 in the series.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Review of Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

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Synopsis:
Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart…

Review:
“Who wants to be around someone tied so closely to death and darkness? It’s morbid.” (Chapter 26, Page 208)

Oh my goodness. I love this book so very much that I snagged a physical copy after having read this on kindle. I have reading exclusively on the kindle and working on weeding the library of things that aren’t loved but this book needs to be on the shelves! There are real characters with great depth, secrets, and so many twists and turns throughout the plotline. There were several times when I thought I knew/understood everything that was going on and then when revealed found I was only partially correct in my assumptions. I thought the challenges were great, and Ophelia’s sense of herself and her family thoroughly grew as the story progressed. I absolutely adored Blackwell from the start, and while I wasn’t sure if I would like Ophelia, I loved how she had to grow and change once she was in Phantasma. This book was an opulent mash up of Phantom of the Opera and Caravel, some of my top loves. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, a bit of darkness, some romance, twists and turns, competitions, and who loves Phantom of the Opera and Caravel.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith

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Synopsis:
Sidra didn’t murder her husband. Yet even a jinni can’t wish away a wrongful imprisonment. Determined to prove her innocence, she returns to her adopted home—a French village renowned for its perfume witches—with her friends Elena and Yvette by her side. Here is where Sidra’s true destiny awaits, but danger also lurks in the village’s narrow lanes.

On her trail is Jamra, another jinni, who’s after more than revenge for the murder of his brother. He also seeks vengeance for the indignities inflicted on jinn by mortals over the centuries. When he learns of an ancient relic capable of unleashing chaos on the world, and that the weapon is in the hands of his murderous sister-in-law, he vows to destroy Sidra to get it.

Relying on a sisterhood of magic, a mysteriously faithful dog, and a second-rate sorcerer, Sidra defends herself using the village’s greatest asset: its perfume. It’s as beguiling a lure as it is a formidable shield. But is it enough for Sidra to protect herself and those she loves from powers yet to be released?

Review:
This book had so much packed into it; excellent descriptions and worldbuilding in the already known Vine Witch universe. There are great quips, amazing showcases of magic that still leave the reader in belief that there is a serious issue that they may not be able to solve regardless of that helpful addition. I love that Sidra is told, while trying to hide away and feeling bad for herself that you can’t you cannot just hide away from the world and that your path doesn’t stop halfway through your life- you have to keep moving.

Perfume plays a large role in this book and it was interesting how magic became entwined with scent. The ability or belief in ability to create and do things was also brought up multiple times: “Intention, always, is the force behind any magic.” (Page 111, Chapter 17) I also quite enjoyed how Elena compared the three friends to perfume and it made me wonder if all friend groups are a bit like that- a dependable one with an overpowering personality that will always be there for everyone, one who sees the value in others, and one in the middle that binds everyone together.

Great series by a truly gifted author, surprised I waited so long to finish it as I bought the book in 2021 but as many good things, perhaps it is hard to know that once you’ve finished it, the story is over.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Raven Spell by Luanne G. Smith

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Synopsis:
Fleeing Victorian London, a witch finds her newfound independence comes with all-new perils—both mortal and immortal.

Forever untangling the branches of her strange family tree, Edwina Blackwood is at a turning point. Her parents’ disappearances still strike her as unaccountably odd. Her sister’s questionable life and untimely death have left her shaken. Spellfire has transformed her home and livelihood to ash. And now a devious stalker is on her trail. With supernatural detective Ian Cameron by her side, Edwina can’t get out of London fast enough.

Gaining safe passage, she finds refuge with Sir Henry Elvanfoot, famed wizard of the north, and is promised protection from ill-aimed curses. But in this unfamiliar city of fair folk and witches, where the veil between Earth and the Otherworld is about to be lifted, something is amiss. How else to explain Edwina’s sudden prophetic visions? Or the fear that surviving whoever pursues her will require the powers of an ancient bloodline she’s only beginning to comprehend?

Whatever destiny awaits, it’s Edwina’s to finally control. Where will it lead? Only time, cunning, and magic—in this world or the Other—will tell.

Review:
This book was absolutely phenomenal and I couldn’t get enough of it! The world building was exceptionally done and well crafted; the type of story you find yourself enthralled in and not wanting to put down… until you’re near the end and then you never want it to finish. This book perfectly followed Edwina, Ian, and her stalker. There was so much more fae, and magic, and fairy tales, and it was just the type of perfectly encompassed story that will stay warming your heart long after you finish the series.

I loved the aspect of choice and how it plays into fate and the future, whether everything is an illusion or written in stone. I absolutely adored all of the characters we were introduced to and became attached to; even those that were unsavory. I quite loved the Celtic tie ins, and the descriptions used so if you were unaware you weren’t left in the dark. The one caveat I had with this novel was how easily Edwina did the expected in a circumstance, however it is somewhat explained later given her lack of thorough magical studies. I love who Gavina turned out to be, and I certainly hadn’t expected how tied into everything she already was, or how much Sir Henry played into things. The only question left unanswered was the how of Ian and Edwina, but that isn’t as important as their feelings. All in all, I absolutely adored this little two book series and intend to one day have the paper version on my shelf.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith

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The Glamourist (The Vine Witch Book 2) by [Luanne G. Smith]

Synopsis:
Abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, Yvette Lenoir has longed to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage and tap her suppressed powers. But what brave and resourceful Yvette has done to survive the streets has made her a fugitive. With a price on her head, she clings to a memento from her past—what she believes to be a grimoire inherited from the mother she never knew. To unlock the secrets of her past, Yvette trusts in one woman to help solve the arcane riddles among its charmed pages.

Elena Boureanu is the vine witch of Château Renard, noted for its renowned wines. Even as she struggles with her own bloodline—and its poisonous threat to her future—Elena can’t ignore a friend on the run. Joined by a cunning thief, the proprietor of an enchanted-curio shop, and a bewitching black cat, Elena and Yvette are determined to decode Yvette’s mysterious keepsake. But what restless magic will be unleashed? And what are Yvette and Elena willing to risk to become the witches they were destined to be?

Review:
I loved how Yvette and Elena both had to go on a soul searching journey here. Elena really had to be introspective to think of what she wanted, the future she saw for herself, and what she could or couldn’t live with doing in order to have it. It was quite interesting to see each of the women fully come into their own, even if Yvette didn’t end up with the ending I thought she should have. I also quite enjoyed seeing Elena combine her past, present, and future as a witch with her fiances non-magical family life. I look forward to reading more in the third book in the series!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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Eternal
By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Star Rating: 

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Number of Pages: 320

Date Started: January 7, 2016eternal_PB_med
Date Finished: January 8, 2016

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
At last, Miranda is the life of the party: all she had to do was die. Elevated by none other than the King of the Mantle of Dracul, she goes from high-school theater wannabe to glamorous fiend overnight. Meanwhile, her guardian angel, Zachary, demoted to human guise as her personal assistant, has his hands full saving his girl’s soul while planning a fast-approaching Death Day gala. In alternating viewpoints, Miranda and Zachary navigate a cut-throat aristocracy as they play out a dangerous, diabolically witty love story for the ages.

Review:
The premise of this book was so promising that I couldn’t wait to see what happened with Miranda’s life and unlife.  The reader gets a solid grasp on what Miranda’s life was like, her aspirations and dreams.  Unfortunately, Zachary was a bit harder to empathize with.  While many might find it endearing that Zachary is falling in love with the girl he is supposed to be the guardian of, some will find it rather breaks character of an angel.  Zachary falling from grace, behaving abhorrently, yet being forgiven without having repented what he did seemed too easy– as if his actions were infallible.

When Miranda changes, everything about Zachary’s girl changes as well.  Everything about Miranda changes when she becomes a vampire, and she seems to completely go with what her new master wants– no mention of her parents, and brief mentions of her former best friend, Lucy.  It is not until very near the end that Miranda seems to think about her parents at all, and never once about how her disappearance would have affected them.  Her interests, which were once so her, only seem to float around, coming back into play at the last possible second.

Action based, there is a lot of running around and attempts to make Miranda and Zachary seem normal.  While their outing into the city is brilliant afterwards everything seems rushed towards the climax.  For how long the book is, more time should have been spent preparing for the big fight.

The opposition of good and evil was very straightforward, and more importantly, the knowledge that there is a choice.  Your circumstances might have been dictated by others, but it is ultimately you who decide your fate and who you will be.

This book is unconventional and odd, and seems a fair bit inspired by Twilight.  Overall, this book was a pleasant quick read.

Author Bio:
As the author has no amazon picture or biography, I shan’t have one here either.

 

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