Archive | Fantasy RSS feed for this section

Reinvention Romances: Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore and Second Chance Romance

26 Nov

Second Chance Romance
by Olivia Dade
I had enjoyed Olivia Dade’s Spoiler Alert so I was curious to checkout her new novel, Second Chance Romance. Karl and Molly were best friends in high school and though they had mutual crushes, never managed to be more than that. Now years later Molly is divorced and working in LA recording audiobooks and Karl is now the baker/owner of the Harlot’s Bay, Maryland Bakery and Coffee Shop that he worked in back in his school days. Each morning he listens to some of the monster romances Molly has done the narrations for. Molly’s feelings are rekindled when a false obituary winds up in Harlot’s Bay’s local paper and she discovers that instead of a funeral, Karl is instead very much still alive. These two kind hearted curmudgeons are clearly meant for each other, but it will take some emotional growth on both their parts to make it work. The book has well developed characters and romance fans will enjoy Dade’s sweet natured pokes at genre tropes, especially those in the monster lovers genre. If you enjoy this novel you will also want to check out At First Spite, the debut novel in the Harlot’s Bay Series.

Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore
by Emily Krempholtz
Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore was not what I expected. There has been a recent trend of novels about villains and former villains, but typically they are often funny stories where the villain is secretly the hero or their deeds are not depicted as particularly horrendous. Although Violet is shown as regretful for her previous actions which she was manipulated into as a child, Krempholtz does not pull any punches that Violet did some very nasty things. Violet is trying to reinvent herself and now is using her thornwitch powers to start a new florist business. She develops feelings for her grumpy landlord who also is suffering from his own guilty past. When a mysterious blight appears in a nearby park the two of them join forces to attempt to stop it. Complex characters and an interesting magical world will appeal to romance and fantasy fans. If you enjoyed The Very Secret Society for Irregular Witches, than this story should also also appeal.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Tags: , ,

Cozy Fantasies: Brigands & Breadknives and The House Witch

12 Nov

Brigands and Breadknives
by Travis Baldree
Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes was instrumental in beginning the cozy fantasy wave. I personally find it refreshing to enjoy the lighter side of fantasy with a bit more humor and a bit less darkness than the previous wave of grimdark novels in the early 2000’s brought. The third in the series, Brigands & Breadknives is equally delightful, but definitely still has some very suspenseful moments and some blood is shed. This story instead of focusing on orc Viv, follows her friend Fern, a sweet, but foul mouthed rattkin, who upon having a midlife crisis is ready to find what the next chapter of her life holds. I loved seeing again Potroast her now senior, but still adorable doglike gryphet, but also enjoyed new characters like Zil a goblin, who breeds chaos and is sure to be a fan favorite. This novel like the previous entries will appeal to those who enjoy stories about found family and self-reinvention. Where Baldree excels compared to some other cozy fantasy authors is creating an intriguing and well paced plot to place his charming characters and also giving us something unique in each installment.

The House Witch
by Delemhach
I enjoyed The House Witch (1) by Delemhach as an audiobook. Matthew Wolf does a great job of narrating the story. Finlay Ashowan is the King of Daxaria’s new cook, but he is hiding secrets. The biggest of these is he is a house witch, meaning he is able to do magic associated with the household he lives in and works for. The novel contains likeable characters, a sweet romance, and an endearing kitten, Finlay’s familiar, Kraken (who looks quite a lot like one of my own cats). This novel will appeal to those who don’t mind some modern anachronisms in with their medievalesque setting. There are two more volumes of this romantasy series also available from Hoopla. If you enjoy this novel, I would also recommend checking out T.Kingfisher’s A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking .

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Tags:

← Older Entries