The Serpent & The Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia #1) by Carissa Broadbent

"An interesting mix of The Hunger Games meets "Underworld", where a human, Oraya, competes in a once in a century tournament, the Khejari, in hopes of binding herself to her adopted Vampire father, Vincent and gaining his powers in order to search for her family. There's violence, death, manipulation, betrayal and love, all the hallmarks of an engrossing and entertaining read. I'm interested to see how this series progresses."

3 Stars

Pros: Oraya and Raihn did have good banter/The idea of the Khejari was interesting, though I had a feeling I knew how it would end.

Cons: Some of the terms used during romance scenes were just cringeworthy/Oraya's friendship with Illana needed to be a little more defined for me to really care/Oraya always fighting with everyone, over everything.

Full Review

Oraya was found in the rubble of her home after an uprising by the Rishan Vampires in the city of Salinae. Vincent, a Hiaj Vampire and King of the House of Night, rescues her and brings her home to Srinivaj and raises her as his own daughter. He teaches her how to fight, to be strong, to always protect her heart. And when he suggests she enter the Khejari, a once in a century tournament that is hosted in Srinivaj, she accepts. She knows that if she wins she can bind herself to Vincent, be his Coriatae, human but also imbued with all his Vampiric powers. Her goal is to win the Khejari and return to her homeland to search for her lost family.

Of course, having grown up around Vampires has made Oraya a very determined and distrustful person. She's a good fighter, she knows she is, but her weaknesses when confronted with the other contestants in the Khejari are blatantly obvious. She manages to survive the first two trials but the Half Moon trial poses a particular challenge. She must form an alliance in order to survive. And though she's reluctant at first, she eventually accepts two Rishan Vampires, Raihn and Mische, as her allies. There's something different about them but she can't quite figure out what. All that matters right now though is that they're good fighters and will be good allies. So, they train together and try to ignore the feelings that are inevitably growing between them.

It all became a bit cliché near the end but it was entertaining enough that it kept me reading. The end wasn't exactly a twist, I kind of saw it coming but it was enough of a cliffhanger that I'll be keeping my eye out for the next book. It was an interesting take, Vampires in epic fantasy and though the different houses and kingdoms blurred together, it didn't take away from the story too much. Hopefully some questions that were left unanswered will be wrapped up in the sequel.

Comments

A Spark of White Fire (The Celestial Trilogy #1) by Sangu Mandanna

"Similar to "Game of Thrones" only in space, there was a lot going on with a lot of different people and they were all important and connected but my tired, overworked brain had trouble keeping up. " 2 Stars Pros: I liked Max as a character, I'm all for the tall, dark, mysterious supposed bad boy with a heart of gold cliche, but the kissing cousins thing just made it weird. Cons: It felt like Game of Thrones, only in space, so there was a bit of a kissing cousins vibe going and I wasn't feeling it/The book tried to have these big, shocking moments I was just non-plussed, unaffected./The presence of the Gods irked me as they did in The Illiad, it's all terribly convenient to have divine intervention for your MCs. I feel like it's the cheapest fake-out cheat of all time 👍🤣 Full Review: My co-worker, who has recommended some amazing reads such as, A Man Called Ove , The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse, and I'll Give You The Sun...

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

"The classic tale of Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up and his adventures with his Lost Boys and the Darling Children, Wendy, John and Michael. At times fun and whimsical and other times surprisingly dark, it was an interesting read as an adult." 3 Stars Pros: There is something appealing about flying away to a mysterious island where you can play all day and never have to grow up. The thrall of Neverland is a constant for this dreamer. Cons: Peter Pan is truly the most arrogant little brat and very much in need of a mother/I was surprised at the bloodshed because I always thought this was a children's book, it was rather dark at times. Full Review Mr. and Mrs. Darling are the proud yet rather dismissive and negligent parents of three children. Wendy, John and Michael. All three have flights of fancy and dream of an island, with mermaids and pirates. Mrs. Darling dismisses these as the whimsy of childhood but she herself remembers when she too dreamt of...

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey

" Science Fiction at its most epically, horrific best. Mankind has colonized the galaxy and is reaching for the stars but something dark and fathomless waits in the recesses of space, biding its time and when it strikes, life itself will change." 5 Stars Pros: Deep and likable characters for all their flaws and a story that grabs you from the very beginning and never lets go. Cons: Some parts were a little technical, like how many G's a ship was flying under and the spin of planets, but it didn't take away from the story too much. Full Review: Julette Andromeda Mao. The heiress to a lunar corporate dynasty who's decided to turn her back on her life of luxury and venture out into the solar system to find work and earn her keep. Miller. A cynical, downtrodden but intelligent and resourceful cop who works out of the Ceres Station on the Belt. Holden, the commanding officer of a water hauler that ships ice from the rings of Saturn to stations ...

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