The Book Dragon-Cutie Frostwing Throw Pillow is absolutely adorable. The pillow is very well made and I love the size
Rory and Longinus were supposed to be spies for Lady Martha, but things have been pretty boring Damsport. Luckily, Lady Martha has received a letter from Azyr stating there is a rebellion and they need Damsport’s help. Rory, Longinus, Adelma, Cruikshank and Rafe head over to help the rebels and save a machinist from Damsport who’s been imprisoned. But once there are there, something feels off and they realize someone has betrayed them. Now they have to save themselves before they can rescue anyone else.
We have seen a lot from the perspectives of Rory and Longinus in the previous books, but this one we get the story from Cruikshank and Adelma as well. It’s 3rd person but it does a great job of introducing readers to those characters. Cruikshank really is like a mother hen to the team, in her own way. She definitely likes to keep order! Adelma is a fun character to read about as well. She comes off as a loose cannon but we learn there is more to her than that in this story.
This book takes place in a new city and once again the world building was great. There were new sights and ways of life that were really brought to life in this book. The beginning was definitely world building but once the action picks up, it doesn’t stop. There is also a theme of emotional growth in this book. Rory has been holding onto some past trauma and it has been affecting her most of her life. As she goes through this situation I. are, she learns that it’s not always best to hold onto the past and I loved that for her character.
This was a really cute, quirky, and cozy fairy‑tale story. We meet the main character, Adrianna, a princess who doesn’t actually want to be one because that would mean following the expected storyline. She lives in a quirky castle that she loves dearly. Her evil stepmother is actually sweet, just a little scatterbrained, and her “evil” stepsister is genuinely lovely and kind. Adrianna sets off on an adventure to find a dragon and help save her family. Along the way, she’s joined by a few more mischievous characters, and together they try to change their fates. I listened to the audiobook, which the author generously uploaded, and it was such a fun listen. I really enjoyed the narration. I really enjoyed it. In the end, you learn that we don’t have to be perfect or fit into a prescribed role, we’re all different, and that’s more than okay.
Rory and Longinus are relegated to working under Cruikshank's thumb in the workshop. Having nothing to do as of late, they are bored out of their minds. When they sneak out and Longinus finds out there is o black silk in Damsport (gasp) he decides he must solve this case. The next day, the Marchioness assigns Rory to investigate a body, who turns out to be her friend from the Rookery. After some investigating, it starts to look like their cases may be related and there is more going on than they could have imagined. Now Rory and Longinus must keep a visiting dignitary safe while trying to stay one step ahead of the most likely suspect, Myran.
Longinus was definitely more of a MC in this book for me. Rory was definitely still up front and center, but it was Longinus who really connected with the reader in this book. He starts to have old feelings of abandonment from his childhood resurface and he has a difficult time splitting up from Rory in this book. He shows more than just his haughty attitude, and it really made him more relatable. Rory does the bulk of the more difficult investigating, and we get see some of her insecurities as well. She realizes a certain character may be interested in her, but she doesn't know how to handle it. I'm hoping that her reaction at the end of the book isn't the way she leaves things.
This was another fun book to try to solve along with Rory and Longinus. There are so many clues but you never know who to trust with everything going on. While some of it was slightly more obvious there are definitely subtle clues hidden in that when you find out the entire conspiracy you kind of slap your forehead. There was more of the mystery that I loved from the first book as well. We are taken to different areas of the city than the previous book and really get a feel for the "seedy underworld" in that section as well. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to venture outside of Damsport for the next book.
I loved receiving this!! It is such a beautiful book and I recommend all Phantom of the Opera fans should get one.
Rory is a young woman raised on the streets of Damsport. She makes a living being a pickpocket with her partner Jake, trying to earn enough to be taken on as an apprentice of a well known sword master. Once she has finally earned enough to pay her passage, her plans are derailed by Jake. When she stumbles upon a man getting sick over stabbing, she finds the perfect opportunity to get her apprenticeship, even if she has to blackmail the man, Longinus, to make it happen. When Longinus' alter ego, the assassin The Viper, is threatened and it appears they are after Rory as well, they must work together to solve the case.
I met these characters in the Razor's Edge Chronicles and knew I had to read more about them. Rory is 18, but has the appearance of a 14 year old and uses that to her advantage in her schemes. She is tough as nails, having no other choice growing up on the street. She’s snarky, honest and gritty. Longinus is her opposite. He’s a worldly gentleman who can’t stand anything remotely “beneath” him. He is fussy, snobby and arrogant. I’m not sure if he has a humorous bone in his body (yet). He reminds me a bit of the Gentleman Pirate in Our Flag Means Death, so consumed with his own wants everyone else be damned. It was fun to watch them slowly come to rely on each other.
This is a gaslamp/steampunk fantasy book and the author does a great job creating a new world. This book focuses on Damsport and running from the slums to the more affluent areas. I love the steampunk coach, lamps and the invention featured at the end of this book. There is a definite build up of the mystery as well, I was trying to decide if a certain character was behind the attacks on Rory most of the book. I also enjoyed that even though they do help save the day, they do not get off scot-free and can’t wait to see how the punishment turns out (and it is very fitting).
I really enjoyed this satirical take on the fairy tales we all grew up with! It was heartwarming and great fun.
This journal is the cutest! My granddaughter is going to love it, I got it for her birthday which is next week.
This is the prequel for the Razor's Edge Chronicles and it introduced us to Apiya, the MC. Apiya was adopted as a baby from Panong, but grew up in London. Wanting to figure out her heritage and be around a larger magical community, she has moved back to Panong. But it is not the welcome she had hoped for and finds things are a little more difficult than she thought.
This is a fun intro to this series (even though I read it after I finished). You get a sense of how independent Apiya is and how different her magic is from all the other Touched. She doesn't have much there, but she is happy for what she does have and has hope her magic will help her with her new home. We also get the story of how she meets Chai and Mr. Sangong as well as how Hunter and Fergie came to live with her.
As with the books for the rest of the series, there is a lot packed into the short story. We get lots of background information and even some new mythical creatures and a small battle with them as well. This is a quick read, probably an hour or 2 but it was a great addition to this series. It can be read at any time and definitely won't spoil anything.
My bestie is a big fan of “phantom of the opera” so I sent it to her as a girls pick me up package!” Waiting for her to blow up my phone-saying the package was delivered! I think she’ll love it-Thanks!❤️
Stunning/beautiful/great art
Ive given 4 stars just because i havent yet read it but the book itself is stunning and everything else i got with the package is just amazing! I was in awe when i opened my package.
What do you do when you are are concerned about a friend that is not answering your calls and that you are housebound knowing that if you leave your house, the protection on it will not cover you and outside you may meet your fate?
Apiya once again has a dilemma and guess what she leaves the house only to result in it ending in a very serious result between herself and the Majak Elders. Can she survive and if so how will she get herself out of this one?
The book is captivating, well plotted and you just can't put it down until you read it completely. I love how the main characters evolve and grow.
Gorgeous and beautiful book, great packaging
Phenomenal, gorgeous book and great packaging!
Absolutely loved it!
Quick read for me but still she was able to include so much world info
Apiya is finally formally recognized as a Mayak now. She feels she has one piece of unfinished business left and that is to apologize to Yue. When she meets Yue at the new Mayak bar, both her and Yue are targeted and kidnapped along with Arjuna by a group of military-like men and bound in silver chains. While they do manage to realm jump, they are sent off course and now Apiya must trust 2 strangers on a strange world to help her find Yue and Arjuna and get back home. But Yue won't make it easy on Apiya and they will need to get creative to get her back. And once they are back, Apiya will have to stop the war between the Mayaks and the Mundanes that seems imminent.
Apiya is an eternal optimist, always wanting to see the good in people (or Mayaks). Even when faced with Yue being a literal demon, she still does what is right and tries her hardest to make Yue comfortable. She makes it impossible not to like her and root for her. She is the perfect blend of magic and mundane in this story. We get to see a couple different sides to Yue in this story as well. One is definitely terrifying and one is the (close enough) version Apiya has always wanted to see from her. We also get to meet some characters from another series (which I will starting soon), Rory and Longinus from another realm. They are quite the pair, and I am sure they will be just as entertaining as Apiya.
Once again Apiya is put in a terrifying situation and must figure a way out of it. This was another book with several tense moments. Just when you think Apiya is out of danger, think again! And you will not believe how she begins to get out of that situation! These books are a little shorter, but they are still packed with plenty to keep you interested! I love how quickly the plot moves and that you are never left waiting too long to see what happens. There are still wonderful emotional moments as well, like with Zer in this book. It is nice to see Apiya get her HEA and I look forward to getting to another one of her series shortly.
Liked it. I come from the country of Hans Christian Andersen and have a special interest in and a special relationship with fairy tales. This was entertaining. Took a while to get used to the writing style.
I really loved the book! As someone with autism I enjoyed having a story with a character I could relate to so closely. It was a beautiful adventure and I truly was thrilled by the connections to Phantom and overall plot. Highly recommend!
This was honestly so much better than I was expecting, I couldn't put it down. It's not only a gender flipped version of Phantom of the Opera (which would have been good enough reason for me to read it anyway, I love Phantom), but the characters were not copies of the originals, they have new circumstances and personalities. TBH I think Eric is a more interesting and complex character than Christine from the original, he's imperfect and he knows it, always relied on his looks and charm to bring in some money before, though his real passion is opera singing (but things don't turn out as he is expecting when he joins Marian's Opera house ) while Ada is fantastic, she's super interesting , inspirational and smart, her way of life as neurodivergent adds so much more to the story - she is a million times better than Raoul (sorry! I was always team Phantom, but I do love the main couple in this version together more). Marian our female version of the Phantom is amazingly clever (even more so than the original phantom I think, though I won't tell you why and spoil it), has a hypnotic voice that is enticing and smooth as honey while being as menacing and obsessive as she should be for this part, but also you feel for her too. I want to know more about her backstory as well as her future. The way she and Ada interact was unexpected but it made so much sense. I feel like they could have been friends in other circumstances. New character Igor works well as the Victorian gothic novel sidekick and has a surprisingly part at the end I never expected - I loved that (but again no spoilers). The atmosphere, settings, characters and feelings you encounter while reading this are spot on for anyone who loves POTO. Celine JeanJean did a great job there and still made the story her own. The book does include nods to the original book/musical but is not the same, and the ending while satisfying and happy also leaves questions unanswered as this is book 1. I'd really like to know what happens next to all the characters as well as more about the main couple, so I hope book 2 is on the horizon (please ^_^ )
There's just one little thing I wish had been different and that is Ada's name because Ada Byron / Lovelace was the name of a real person, the real daughter of the famous Lord Byron and like the Ada here she was a brilliant mathematician etc though she wasn't blonde or as far as I know neurodivergent. I would have preferred story Ada to be inspired by the real one but with a made up name instead, that way she can completely have her own story (and hopefully a happier ending than the real life Ada). If you don't know anything about the real one then this shouldn't be an issue though and it won't affect how much you enjoy the story either way so I still give this 5 stars.
If you love Phantom then I think you'll love this version. Both the hardback and paperback special editions of this book are absolutely stunning too! I got the paperback version and it's even more beautiful when you see it in real life.
Absolutely hilarious with cozy book vibes, low romance spice, and apple crumble for breakfast! The perfect story for a fairytale lover with a bigger love of humor!