Review of A Bond of Broken Glass by T. A. Lawrence

May 7, 2023 / authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
The shoe fits, but she’s no Cinderella.

Ellie knows what she wants in life:

Open a glassblowing shop in the art district.
See her father retire.
Marry for love. (If she can find someone who can keep up, that is).

Winning the fae prince’s heart doesn’t make the list.

So when Prince Evander throws a ball to find a human bride, Ellie respectfully declines. And when she reads the morning paper and discovers the prince danced the night away with a mysterious stranger, only for the woman to flee at the stroke of midnight, Ellie can’t help but laugh.

Until she learns the mystery girl left behind a glass slipper.

Ellie’s glass slipper. From the set that went missing from Ellie’s workshop.

So when the idiotic prince decides it’s a good idea to use the slipper to identify the love of his life (because, you know, no two women could possibly share the same shoe size), Ellie doesn’t hesitate to prove the slipper is hers.

Little does she know there’s been a modification to her work of art. The prince may or may not have attached a fae bargain to the shoe, and when Ellie places it on her foot, she finds herself both legally and magically betrothed to the very prince she detests.

Not that Prince Evander is thrilled about the situation, either. After all, he’d thought the shoe would only fit Cinderella.

Together, the unhappy couple must discover a way to break the fae bond, but there’s danger along the way.

And what’s more dangerous than falling in love with someone whose heart belongs to another?

Hilarious and filled with witty banter, this not-so-retelling of Cinderella takes a fresh spin on the classic tale, pairing the dangerous politics of Alondria with the swoon-worthy chemistry of a romantic comedy. A Bond of Broken Glass is the third in a series of interconnected standalones, but you just might recognize a few faces along the way.

Review:
Evander and Ellie are absolutely perfect! There’s danger, a mystery, and a very surprising reveal of who was behind all at the end. We see both Evander and Ellie mature during the story, from fairy tales and belief that hard work is all it takes to have all you want in life to realizing that determination may be able to do much, but you have to work with what fate puts in your path. I absolutely adored the characters in this; they were truly perfect. While the King is NOT my favourite person, Queen Evangeline more than makes up for how turbulent the King can be. The absolute end I had not suspected at all and found it was positively perfect. This book has been my favourite so far in the series; in part because I absolutely loved Ellie’s no nonsense attitude and that she wasn’t just going to give in to Evander because he was a prince, despite whatever complications might arise by trying to be contrary (here’s looking at you, fae bargain!) One of my favourite parts was when she thought, of course Evander just assumes everyone has a faerie godmother!! I am very much looking forward to reading the next two books in the series. Great job, T. A. Lawrence!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of A Tune to Make Them Follow by T.A. Lawrence

May 4, 2023 / authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:

She’s a wanted criminal, but he doesn’t have to know that.

Piper’s job is simple.Take the children.
Don’t get caught.

The rules she binds on herself; however… Well, they’re a tad more complicated.
Kidnapped as a child for her connection with the Old Magic—the one that grants her the ability to enchant others with her music—Piper knows good and well the rules of the Coup, the underground organization intent on bringing down the fae regime. As the Coup’s first “recruiter,” she’s supposed to take the strong, the good-boned, the clever, the healthy.

Except Piper doesn’t always do what she’s supposed to.

Instead, she makes a few rules of her own.

Like how she only takes the children who need taking—the children who suffer harm and neglect in their current homes, the ones who come with her willingly.

The children for whom a life bound in service to the Coup would be a mercy.

But when a deadly oversight leaves Piper injured, stranded in the forest, and unable to protect the no-nonsense child to whom she’s promised a better life, she’s left with no other choice. She strikes a bargain with a handsome archer whose aim is almost as deadly as his past.

Oh, but there’s another rule too.

Don’t fall in love.

Especially not with a human who has no idea who Piper really is.

Fast-paced and action-packed, this second installment in The Severed Realms series transports the reader across Alondria to Avelea, a kingdom full of wicked forest faeries, underground rebellions, and a king with a secret of his own.

A Tune to Make Them Follow is the second book in a series of interconnected fairytale retellings. This book can serve as a standalone, or as an entry point into the series.

Review:
This book has everything; found family, yearning for belonging and desire to know you’re wanted and cared for beyond just your abilities and what you can do for others. That being said, from the beginning Piper is a very likeable heroine, and I think many will relate to her for everyone feels sometimes that they are not enough, or that the others around them deserve more or better. This book does a great job of showing nature versus nurture as well as how the smallest gestures and acts can end up ultimately changing your entire life. I couldn’t stop reading this, and certainly loved Marcus, Piper and Amity instantly. This is the type of book that grips you and you just want to keep reading, reading, reading. Cannot wait to see what comes next in this delectable series!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of A Word so Fitly Spoken by T. A. Lawrence

April 30, 2023 / authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
One stunning bride.
One wedding.
One night with the king.
One execution come morning.
Rinse and repeat.

When the fae king of Naenden returns home to his palace only to find that his human queen has committed treason by conspiring to assassinate him, he has the queen executed and decrees that once every mooncycle, he’ll marry a human woman from the kingdom, only to execute her the following morning.

Unless…

Unless one woman offers herself as a sacrificial bride for the rest.

Asha isn’t worried about being chosen, of course. The decree was quite clear about beauty being among the top criteria for being selected as one of the king’s unfortunate brides. And Asha is no beauty, all thanks to the illegal magic that inhabits her body, leaving her scarred and missing an eye. The same magic that occasionally possesses her voice so it can amuse itself by telling a never-ending story with a string of horrible cliffhangers.

The problem is, Asha might not be a beauty, but her sister Dinah is. When Asha realizes Dinah is in danger of being selected as the king’s sacrificial bride, Asha decides she can’t live with that risk. So she offers herself instead.

Except on the night of their wedding, the king grants Asha a final request.

Naturally, she asks to tell her sister one last bedtime story.

Naturally, the king eavesdrops.

The question is…

Will the story save her life…or ruin it?

A tale of love and betrayal, vengeance and sacrifice, magic and romance, this imaginative retelling of 1,001 Nights will keep you guessing with each turn of the page.

Review:
I would start off by calling this a very different fairy tale retelling. You know that you’re caught up in a fairy tale given the description, but the place, characters, and story really suck you in. Most fairy tales are left open- there aren’t many details and set things, that way they can adapt and change while keeping the same lessons no matter when and where they are told. That being said, the reader is deeply immersed in the world Lawrence designed, quickly enraptured by the unique magic system, balance between fae and human, and between the rich and poor. While the fairy tale itself might have inspired the story, there are so many twists and turns that it truly has a life of its own. There are several beautiful examples of people not always being what they seem/appear to be, as well as cases showing actions prove more of a person’s character than words. Once started, especially toward the last third of the book, it becomes absolutely impossible to put down.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯