mspilesofpaper's reviews
856 reviews

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

A Rivalry of Hearts is the first instalment in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series and it is a light-hearted and funny fantasy rivals-to-lovers romance with Bridgerton vibes as it is set in a loosely Regency-inspired world with Fae and humans. As it has sexual tension and sex scenes, it is meant for an adult audience.

The following review might contain spoilers.

PLOT
Edwina is a struggling author in her home country of Bretton whereas she is a popular romance author in Faerwyvae, which leads to her having her very first book tour there. Well, until outside circumstances (ship drifts off course, immigration issues, ...) cause her to share her tour with up-coming poet, and Fae, William Haywood. The grand prize of the tour? Securing a lucrative publishing contract with the publisher in Faewyvae, which both need desperately. The original threshold for winning was: book sales during the tour. However, on the evening after the first signing, they end up in a bet and make a fae bargain: the one who seduces the most partners wins the contract.

WORLD-BUILDING & MAGIC
The world is loosely inspired by the Regency era (in terms of clothing, especially for Bretton). Generally, the world is set in the UK (Faerwyvae) and France (Bretton) with Faewyvae split into courts (11 courts concerning the 4 seasons, 4 elements, and then for the sun/moon/stars). The human world and the Fae world are separated by a magical wall after a war that ended 24 years ago. The court system and the separation reminds me greatly of ACOTAR but Odette is more consistent in terms of how the wall works, and the courts are more developed (incl. a ruling system etc). The Fae world has a more modern touch in terms of behaviour, clothing etc. but it might feel like it because Edwina always thinks slightly negatively about Bretton due to her publisher there.

In terms of the Fae, aside from the court system, the author implemented the Seelie/Unseelie parts of Fae stories. Here, a Fae can have two sides: a humanoid-looking side (the Seelie) that was developed by the Fae after getting in contact with humans, and the wild side (the Unseelie), which are either animals/spirits/elements etc. Each court has a Seelie and Unseelie ruler to represent all Fae in a court.

CHARACTERS
The cast is utterly delightful with Edwina and William as main characters, and several side characters (who will become the main characters in the upcoming books).

I haven't read another Odette book before this one but I will continue with the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series and might pick up another series as William, the male main character, isn't the perfect tall, dark and handsome male Fae who is rich, strong and cannot do anything wrong. He has his flaws, he is utterly dedicated to his family (to the point where he ignores his own needs), and he is a struggling poet/actor with a ton of debt. Also, he is a bi-/pan-sexual male lead who is younger than the female character, so no "tall, dark-haired, straight, centuries-old" Fae.

Edwina is equally flawed as William. She doesn't sacrifice herself for the greater good (unlike all the 19-year-old teenagers with superpowers). She is 29 years old and has a family that supports & loves her but she acknowledges that it isn't a perfect relationship with them either. (Plus: her parents are actually alive, which is a nice change for once.) She wants the grand prize and is willing to do a lot to get it: including fulfilling the bargain/bet that she made with William despite being not as experienced in terms of sex as she claims to be. And while she fights for the contract, she also acknowledges that William's reasons for wanting it as just "as valid as hers". The author implemented the issue that's still prevalent in the publishing industry with Edwina: it is tough as a woman who writes romances. Her publisher in Bretton would prefer her to publish literacy novels under a male pseudonym. Yes, her ideals are posing an issue in the last third of the book but that's rather human, I think. Sometimes you defend your own ideals to the point that you expect others to follow them even if their situation is different.

As for the side characters: Monty is such a messy character. We get the "son of an aristocrat who doesn't want to be associated with his father" with him in the next book. He's a comic relief in this book but there are enough hints that there's more to him than just being addicted to drugs/alcohol and having fun. Daphne is equally fun and I can't wait to learn why she struggles with her Seelie side. She's also centuries old while I feel that Monty is young in comparison. The two other side characters, William's ex-lover and best friend, Zane (non-binary opera singer), and William's sister Cassie, only appear in the later third of the book but I liked Zane and their scheming (especially together with Monty). I suspect that they will either become a couple or get their own romances in books 3 and 4.

ROMANCE
It is a cute romance with witty banter and it develops throughout the tour. Of course, there's a hint of insta-attractive/insta-love on William's side but it's very doable. The romance's cuteness is the kind where you giggle and kick your feet while reading. (Yes, it might be too fluffy for some but if you're in the mood for something like it: read it!)

The romance is based on the rivals-to-lovers trope and a fae bargain (including a "free pass" chip between the main characters). While the fae bargain sparks the romance, it gets relatively quickly abandoned - even as a pretence - and I think it could have been handled better as Edwina argues that she is "doing research" by trying to fulfil the bargain.

For the sexual content. While Will and Edwina have a lot of sexual tension from the start, and there are scenes of an orgy, the actual sexual content between them is relatively mild. I would rate it: 🌶️🌶️.

TW & CW
I will combine the general TWs with the sexual ones as the latter aren't very extensive: general sexual content, explicit language, overindulgence in alcohol, drug use (fantasy drug), smoking, chronic illness of a family member (with poor prognosis), death of a parental figure (mentioned, in the past), public displays of sexual activity, voyeurism, intended sexual assault/taking advantage of an inebriated person (person is stopped before it happens), vaginal and oral sex, hand job

TL;DR
A delightful, fast-paced fantasy romance with Bridgerton vibes. Very relatable protagonists and a good cast of supporting characters. The romance is tooth-aching cute and made me giggle a few times. In general, very funny as the book also pokes fun at some book tropes (e.g., only bed) but also highlights actual issues that women face (e.g., in publishing, being dismissed when they are romance authors, career vs. marriage & children, ...). 

Paladin's Grace is the first book in the The Saint of Steel series, which follows the Paladins of the Saint of Steel and their life after their God died. It is set in the same world as Swordheart, so if you read it, you will meet some characters again. It is a soft fantasy romance with DnD campaign vibes and a murder/crime mystery. Based on the book's last chapter, I would presume that the murder/crime mystery is the main story arc for the entire series as the mystery wasn't 100% solved. The book is meant for an adult audience due to a few sex scenes; they aren't exactly graphic or explicitly written but it's still a sex scene. There are some darker elements to the book as well, which wouldn't be appropriate for a younger audience too.

The following review might contain spoilers.
(Please ignore potential wrong spellings of characters and places. I did listen to the audiobook, so I don't know how some characters/places are written.)

PLOT
The story follows Stephen and Grace who meet in a dark alley where Stephen rescues Grace from the Hanged Mother's priests. Following the moment, they can't really get the other one out of their mind (much to the annoyance and amusement of their friends) and meet again at a royal event where Grace presents a perfume to the Crown Prince of Charlok. Their budding romance is overshadowed by two main events (which incorporate a few minor ones): 1. a serial killer is on the loose and they leave severed heads behind, and 2. an assassination attempt/plot that is aimed at the Crown Prince. The mystery around the assassination attempt takes up most of the plot line while the murder mystery is weaved in the background but becomes of importance in later chapters.

WORLDBUILDING & MAGIC
Similar to Swordheart, the world-building is rather mild (especially compared to Nettle & Bone, which confused me partly with its world-building). The story is set in Arkenhold and only incorporates mentions of other kingdoms; mostly of Charlok as the Crown Prince plays a minor role. There are mentions of the various gods/churches and occasional background information about them.

The mild world-building makes it easy to follow the story as an audiobook because you don't have to remember tons of facts and history.

CHARACTERS
Well, as mentioned Stephen and Grace are the main characters. Each of them has a few characters on their side who act as friends/acquaintances/... who will become the main characters in the latter books. As for the returning characters from Swordheart: the Bishop Beartongue, Zale (the non-binary lawyer-priest), and general mentions of various priests of the Hanged Mother (who always act as antagonists).

Stephen is a paladin who served the Saint of Steel until the Saint was killed. The saint's death resulted in Stephen, and the other surviving paladin, struggling with their purpose in life without their god anymore. After the saint's death, the Temple of the Rat took the surviving paladins into their service. The temple houses them, feeds them, ... and the paladins work for the temple as men-at-arms/bodyguards as the majority of the Rat's priests aren't trained as warriors. Stephen is an anxious character as soon as it concerns how others perceive him and the paladins as they went into a berserker rage when the saint died, which caused a bloodbath. Aside from this, he is rather grounded, is considered as the leader of the paladins, and is often enough baffled by the Rat's priests and their lack of security concerns (especially regarding the ongoing murders). Unfortunately, as soon as he meets Grace, he becomes rather possessive in behaviour (e.g., fantasising how to kill/hurt someone because they dared to flirt with Grace), which I didn't like. I suppose that it's meant to show that he's jealous and devoted to her but I found it annoying.

Grace is a perfumer on the run. Her main character trait is being awkward and being worried. She fled her previous life as her husband cheated constantly on her and it reached a point where she couldn't take it anymore. She has an extremely well-developed sense of smell, which results in her describing a lot of scenes in scents but also it results in Grace suffering from traumatic flashbacks to something from her past. Unfortunately, she is rather stupid and trusts surprisingly easily despite her past, which made me groan often enough. She has no real ambitions aside from making enough money to survive as she considers her quiet lifestyle as necessary to avoid people from her old life recognising her by accident.

A general advantage of Kingfisher's characters: they aren't teenagers. Stephen is around 40 years and Grace is also in her (early) 30s. On average, all characters are adults who are well into their 30s - 50s. The only minor characters are side characters who are mentioned in two sentences (e.g., a messenger, a young guard, ...). By now, I'm at an age where I want characters in my age group and not teenagers with perfect banter and the ability to save the world with the help of no one.

ROMANCE
Unfortunately, I did not vibe much with the romance. Mostly because they don't have much chemistry in my opinion and I dislike romances that are mostly based on physical attraction, which is the case with Paladin's Grace as Stephen and Grace meet in a dark alley where they act as if she's a sex worker, and he's the client, to save Grace from an encounter with the priests of the Hanged Mother. Following it, they both wonder often how the other one would look without clothes. Stephen and Grace are utterly fixated on getting into each other's pants and I'm too asexual for it.

As for the sex scenes: 1.5 🌶️ - they are rather mild (compared to sex scenes in other books). Personally, I could have done without them but given that having sex was Grace's and Stephen's main goal: I suppose, the book needs them.

TWs & CWs
I will not separate the sexual content warnings from the general ones because of the mild sexual content.

graphic description of a beheading, extensive descriptions of scents (good & bad), general sexual content, general violence, berserker rage, fantasising about unusual items as weapons (ice figures, stuffed egrets, ...), toxic church (members)

TL;DR
Fluffy and soft fantasy romance with some steamy scenes, a murder mystery and an assassination attempt. Set in the world of Swordheart and the start of a series. Light-hearted and funny but with a rushed conclusion and a lack of world-building.

I would recommend the audiobook because the narrator is good. Plus, the book has phrases such as "Ohmyfuckingshitfuckshitgaaaaaaah" and actual groans that are written as "Gnnrggzz" instead of "he groaned". Might make reading the book more annoying but it feels rather natural in an audiobook.

OTHER
My favourite quotes:

Madness of the Horde King is the third instalment of the Horde Kings of Dakkar series. It follows Davik, which had been mentioned in the previous book, who is considered as "The Mad Horde King" by the others. Compared to the previous ones, it is slow-paced and while there is more action/plot, it still feels like nothing is actually happening. Technically, this alien romance can be still read on its own but I would advise you to read book 1 (Captive of the Horde King) and book 2 (Claimed by the Horde King) prior as there are returning characters whose motivations are based on their stories in the previous books, so having that background information is helpful.

The following review might contain spoilers.

PLOT
Vivienne "Vienne" is a Ghertun slave and gets sent to the Dakkari's main capital as a messenger with an ultimatum, which is unbearable for the Dakkari. Before reaching the palace, she meets the Mad Horde King (Davik) and while they have an instant connection, he lets her go when guards stumble upon them. The instant connection, and attraction, are the reason why he claims her/takes her with him to his horde - though he does so under false circumstances. During the few weeks that she spends with him in his horde, they grow much closer to each other until the past, and all their secrets, come biting them in the ass. To save Vienne and her family, both have to make difficult decisions.

Despite the larger story arc, the entire story is extremely slow-paced and drags on. Partly, it's very boring because there isn't much happening although the stakes are high. A lot of things happened either in the past or off-page, which doesn't help with the boringness.

WORLD-BUILDING & MAGIC
It plays on the planet Dakkar (the position in the solar system/in the universe is never mentioned) as in the previous two books. By now, I would love to have a map to have an overview of where the capital city is, where the Dead Lands are, and where each horde roams. There's not much new input in terms of the planet and the Dakkari society/history aside from the heart stones of their Goddess.
In terms of information about the human population: the timeline of when the old Earth colonies, and Earth itself, become inhabitable due to wars etc. becomes more and more muddled. I thought that I had a good idea on the timeline after the first two books but Madness of the Horde King throws all my perception out of the window. The war that destroyed the colonies (on other planets) seems to be so recent that French is still known as Vienne's family (on her mother's side) uses French terms of endearment (mon coeur, ...) and Vienne was named after a family member. (Funnily enough, her siblings don't have French names.)

As for magic: I suppose that the spirit world, which starts to make an appearance, could be considered as magic. Vienne can sense emotions and during the story, her powers become more pronounced to the point where she can influence/control others (giving commands, ...). Davik and her can also see the spirit of the dead - Which is why Davik is considered as mad as no one else can see them. - and can talk with them when they are awake but also sleeping. In addition, the Dakkari have a story about a sorceress that destroyed an entire horde, and the story influences the perception of Vienne due to her hair colour/general colouring (faintly like an albino, minus the pink eyes).

CHARACTERS
As mentioned, Vienne and Davik are the main characters. There are several side characters (though by far less than in the second book) that either make a reappearance (like the horde kings from book 1 and book 2) or are new side characters (Davik's second-in-command, an old female Dakkari, the Ghertun, Vienne's family, Davik's dead twin). Compared to the previous books, the focus is mostly on the main characters and Vienne doesn't develop a healthy friendship with someone else in the horde.

Vienne is ... annoying. While I know that the "weak but beautiful female" is the trope for the book, she got on my nerves with her behaviour because she feels particularly weak. Due to her gift of sensing the emotions of others, and being able to influence them/to control them, she suffers from headaches and other physical ailments. Aside from the weakness, she is shy, gentle, often enough scared of everything and everyone, and tends to withhold the truth or even lies to Davik because she either mistrusts him or doesn't want to hurt him. I'm not overly fond of characters who tend to do this.
Davik is the typical alphahole and I found him annoying. He's extremely aggressive, lusts for blood, and is an asshole in general. His "madness" stems from being able to see the spirits of the dead, which haunts him as he doesn't understand it and considers it as a curse. However, he plays into the perception that others have of him while he can be caring for his horde in his own way. Similar to Vienne, he lies to Vienne and keeps the truth from her. A lot of his behaviour is influenced by his past trauma as he witnessed the death of his parents, the death of his sister, and was afterwards sexually and emotionally abused, as well as raped, by an older female Dakkari when he was still a minor. If someone needs therapy, it is him.
Concerning his "madness": I have to admit that the previous mentions of him in book 2 created an image of him as a psychopath in my mind. Cold, cruel, brutal, ... - when his madness stems from untreated trauma and abuse as well as the lack of understanding of his gift. Plus, "I like killing too much", which is never shown on-page. There are hints of it in two scenes but I would have expected more/worse?

ROMANCE
Their entire romance is very much insta-love and insta-lust (although the "fated mate" moment that was happening in the first two books is missing). There's no chemistry between them in my opinion and unlike Nelly & Seerin, there's not even an actual development of a romance between them. He just wants to jump her bones right away, she's utterly scared of him but gives in pretty quickly and that's it. Afterwards, it's just insta-love/obsessional love but nothing else. The only hint of some feelings appears in the last chapter.

As for their sex scenes: the sexual tension is there from pretty much the first few chapters. Overall, I would rate their scenes with 🌶️🌶️🌶️ because they tend to be graphic and explicit enough. Plus, there's the element of voyeurism (they watch another couple that doesn't know about them being there), which wasn't really there in the first two books.

TWs & CWs
For the general trigger/content warnings: slavery, past off-page branding, general violence, general sexual content, blood, threat of death/dying, hunger/starving, poisoning, withholding an antidote to the poison as punishment, fantasy racism, wanted pregnancy, mentions of rape (for one side character) and past rape of the MMC as a minor, sexual and emotional abuse in the past of the MMC, spirits/ghosts.

For the sexual content warnings: voyeurism, oral and vaginal sex, fingering, vibrating knot, light choking/BDSM.

TL;DR
A slow-paced alien romance that is mostly based on instant love and attraction with lots of sexual tension and content. The characters tend not to trust each other, which results in secrets and lies. A lack of plot (despite looming large stakes) and only a few world-building information. Davik needs therapy, asap. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc.

The premise of the book is extremely interesting, and I was so happy to receive the eARC, but I think the DNF is a case of "It's me, not you" because you need to be in a very specific mood to enjoy the book as it's extremely angry. While Venus' anger never feels very deep, her sister's anger is by far more potent. They are angry at each other, at their mother but especially at the society that enforces laws that punish witchers. The book incorporates, among others, the following themes: police violence, racism, child abuse (emotional but also physical in a way due to the nature of brewing), child neglect (as Venus' and her sister are teenagers), a good amount of morality (e.g., giving someone unknowingly a love potion), discrimination, ... -- Overall, it is very angry and I have currently not the energy or the mind space to deal with such an angry setting at the moment.

However, three main issues are the reasons why I DNF'ed the book (the anger of the book is just the cherry on top):

1. The writing style.
It is very immature at times and the author uses extremely short sentences to highlight emotions. It feels choppy and unedited to read sentences that just consist of three or four words. In addition, some word choices were rather poor because they gave me the feeling of "I want to be special by using unique vocabulary" but it just renders it meaningless if it irritates the reader.

2. The pacing.
It is so off. By the time, I abandoned the book, nothing really happened that was relevant to the main plot line as far as I can tell. Yes, there are a few scenes where something happens (e.g., a shady deal for brewing a love potion, brewing the love potion, going to an aurora party) but the only major plot point that happened was the death of Venus' mother. The rest of the 22% are mostly world-building in a way but not to the depth that would excuse the lack of action. I have the feeling that the plot, which is mentioned in the book's summary, starts to happen between 40% - 50%, which is a shame. By the time when I'm 40% - 50% into a book, I want to be in the middle of the plot and not at the start of it.

3. The world-building and magic system.
It is so vague and superficial. While the entire story plays in an alternative version of the USA, I cannot tell you much about the witcher history or the magic system.
The world-building happens mostly through tidbits in the form of texts above each chapter, which I hate as a mechanism to introduce world-building because it never explains enough. The witcher vs. non-witcher conflict feels old and young at the same time as the book refers to events prior Venus' birth but also makes it sound as if the entire conflict is centuries old.
The magic system is just as vague. There are several types of magic mentioned (e.g., brewers, forgers, ...) and sometimes even sub-classes for each magic type (e.g., brewers have to focus on one type of potions) but that's it. By 22%, there was no mention of why iron hurts witchers. There's no explanation why brewers suffer from magical backlash or if witchers of other magic types have their own drawbacks. 


To sum it up, it's the typical "them vs. us" story with magic as the dividing line that uses the question "What would you do in the situation?" as Venus will get caught up in a bad situation while she doesn't seem to be a bad character, but it just falls flat due to writing issues, the vague world-building & magic system, and the catastrophic pacing. It's also a very angry and political book but even the incorporation of the fitting themes for the politics fall short. I think it could have been a good book but it needs a few more rounds of editing to make it smoother and more cohesive. 

Claimed by the Horde King is the second instalment of the Horde Kings of Dakkar series, which is a paranormal romance series (or SciFi romantasy/erotica ... the lines are blurred) that follows the horde king Seerin of Rath Turivi, which had a small scene in the previous book. It isn't as fast-paced as the first book and dives deeper into the world-building but the overall plot is still relatively simple. You can still read the book on its own as the characters from the first book are only mentioned a few times, and always with enough information to understand their importance, but I think the upcoming books would require reading all previously published ones.

The following review might contain spoilers.

PLOT
Seerin was notified of decreased numbers in the kinnu herds and came to Nella's village to punish the hunters as humans on Dakkar are forbidden to hunt as they threaten the balance between "giving vs. taking". Nella is one of the hunters, though she goes after small animals, as she is forced to do it to be able to survive in her village as an outsider. Despite her awful position within the village, she still protects the others from being punished by Seerin and endures the whipping on her own. Seerin realises after three lashes that Nella is his fated mate, so he takes her with him (despite the will of his second-in-command) to his horde where she gets treated and heals. Throughout the book, Nella falls in love with the Dakkari and their lifestyle, and of course, falls for Seerin as well. While Seerin is also obsessed with her, he's also forced to make a decision: Nella or the horde.

WORLD-BUILDING & MAGIC
The reader learns a bit more about Dakkar and the Dakkari culture as Nella is more open-minded about it and is willing to integrate herself into the horde. In addition, the reader also learns that several Earth colonies on other planets are destroyed, which is the reason why the Uranian Federation bargained with the Dakkari King to allow settlement on the planet. While I thought that the settlement had been finished (as in "happened several decades ago"), Nella talks about her settlement with Seerin and it's very clear that it's still an ongoing process as she came to Dakkar as a baby (and is likely barely above 20 years now). Aside from the Dakkari culture, and the snippets about human history, there are also a few points mentioned about the main enemy of the Dakkari and their lifestyle (e.g., burrowing during the cold season to hibernate).

The overall world-building is still very superficial but it seems like the author is going to add more information with each book.

CHARACTERS
The two main characters are Nella and Seerin who are not as two-dimensional and lacking in depth as Luna and Arokan. Unlike Luna and Arokan, they have in-depth background stories that play a role in why they are who they are, so their past still influences their present (and likely their future).

Unlike Luna, Nella is actually interested in learning about Dakkari culture, makes an effort to integrate herself into the horde life, takes up two jobs and starts to learn the language as well. As she wasn't treated well in her village because of her peculiar character, she has no issue with eating as much as she can and doesn't share Luna's "oh no, I cannot eat because my village starves". As she is used to hunger and food scarcity, she even shows behaviour that I would have expected in Luna as well: hiding leftovers to save for later. I think her "peculiar behaviour" is just an undiagnosed form of neurodivergence because she's stimming when she's nervous (e.g., counting to three ("One, the thumping of my heart. Two, the rhythmic, deep croaks of the chitter bugs. Three, a branch snapping -")). She's very positive, optimistic, curious and stubborn. Occasionally, she's also anxious. Seerin is - compared to Arokan - a chatterbug. Yes, he has "alpha male" tendencies but he's more open-minded and makes an effort to get to know Nella. He's protective of his horde, which is one of the major obstacles in the book, and struggles to find common ground between being a horde king and having Nella.
Aside from them, there are several side characters as well. Among others, Seerin's best friend (and antagonist), a female Dakkari who becomes Luna's friend, the female's little son, her father, and her brother who's sweet on Nella for some scenes. Aside from them, there's also a chapter where the reader meets the other horde kings, the Dakkari King, and Seerin's mother.

ROMANCE
While it's very much a one-sided obsession on Seerin's side as he thinks that Nella is his fated mate, the entire romance is actually slow in development. He pushes her often enough and shows her that he's attracted to her (by being naked lol) but overall, both of them take their time to get to know each other before sex even happens.

In terms of the overall spiciness of the few scenes: 2.5 🌶️. The amount of scenes is very low and while the author uses explicit language, the scenes feel less explicit and graphic than the ones in the first book. (And compared to other paranormal novels, they are very mild.) They feel a bit repetitive as the author seems to use the same scheme for them.

TWs & CWs
For the TWs: hunger/starving, poverty, threat of rape (in the past), fantasy racism, whipping, unplanned pregnancy, mentions of prostitution

For the sexual CWs: oral and vaginal sex, fingering, vibrating knot, light choking

TL;DR
Paranormal romance with aliens that are inspired by the Dothraki. The story explores themes of belonging, duty and love, while the main characters navigate through their developing relationship, which is not wanted by everyone in the horde. The overall romance is a slow-burn that unfolds against the backdrop of horde politics and the MMC's past. 

Captive of the Horde King is the first instalment in a SciFi romantasy/erotica novel that takes place on the planet Dakkar as Earth isn't viable anymore. It is heavily inspired (*cough* rip-off *cough*) by Game of Thrones' Dothraki and imagines them as aliens. It is a short and quick read as it is fast-paced and has a relatively simple plot.

The following review might contain spoilers.

PLOT
Luna lives with her brother in a small village that's supported by the Uranian Federation until her brother tries one of his many experiments to increase the fertility of the earth as the entire village is starving. The result of the experiment calls a horde of Dakkari to the village as they take offence to the experiments as it goes against their religion. To save her brother's life, Luna bargains with the horde king and goes with him as his war prize. She expects to be one of many concubines as all stories about the Dakkari paint them as barbaric monsters. She learns quickly that she isn't meant as a concubine but to become the wife and queen of the horde king, and learns with time that all the stories about the Dakkari aren't true.

WORLD-BUILDING & MAGIC
The story plays on Dakkar, which is an alien planet that isn't defined further (as in where it is in the solar system etc.). There are mentions of the old Earth and it is implied that living there isn't possible anymore, which is why humankind left the Earth several centuries ago to find a new planet. Dakkar seems to be one of many settled ones. The humans live in small villages that are within the territory of the Dakkari. Aside from the Dakkari, which are the dominant race on the planet, there are also other species mentioned that settle on Dakkar but are considered enemies to the Dakkari. Due to the nomadic lifestyle of the Dakkar, there's not much in terms of architecture etc. They follow the movements of their preferred meat source (that isn't described at all but I suppose it might be some type of bovine), live in tents and care a lot for their horses (alien type though, they eat meat and are more vicious). There's one major, permanent settlement where the king of all Dakkari lives. They have a religious system that is based on nature, which is why the Dakkari forbade humans to hunt and limit their farming a lot.

It's a relatively superficial world-building but I suspect that it will either increase with the following books or will continue to stay as simple for the sake of it being a romantasy/erotica novel.

There's no magic system.

CHARACTERS
Two main characters with Luna and Arokan (the horde king). Both are very two-dimensional and lack depth but I don't expect utterly fleshed-out characters in these books. Arokan is basically a better version of Drogo from Game of Thrones as he's more respectful of Luna and doesn't force himself upon her. He has alpha tendencies but it isn't as awful as other alpha males in romantasy books. He's highly protective of his people and Luna. Meanwhile, Luna is reckless and rarely thinks through her interactions although she has also the tendency to overthink. Despite being called Queen multiple times, she takes ages to make any effort to learn more about the Dakkari. She's also stubborn and slightly stupid (e.g., not eating the offered food for days because "my village starves, so I cannot enjoy this").
Aside from them, there are also several side characters: Luna's maids (who also feel like copies of Daenerys' maids), Arokan's aunt who dislikes Luna for no explicit reason, Luna's brother, and a few even less important side characters that are often just mentioned in a few sentences.

ROMANCE
Very much insta-lust and insta-love from Arokan's side where Luna requires more time to warm up to him although she considers him as attractive early on despite his alien looks (e.g., long dark coarse-looking hair, black eyes with a golden ring, a tail, ...).
As I mentioned that he's more respectful than Drogo: while Arokan wants to fuck her from the beginning, he stops as soon as he realises that she's sore (from riding) or uncomfortable with him. Of course, there's a ceremony after which he claims her but he stops having sex with her when he notices that she doesn't react to his touch in any way as he thinks that she doesn't want him.

In terms of the overall spiciness of the scenes: 3 🌶️ as the scenes are explicit and graphic in description but still rather mild compared to other erotica novels, in my opinion.

TWs & CWs
For the TWs: hunger, poverty, fantasy racism, death (beheading), kidnapping (of the FMC), sexual assault, threat of raping of the FMC, wanted pregnancy

For the sexual CWs: oral and vaginal sex, fingering, vibrating knot (not actual knotting but male Dakkari have a knot at their base that vibrates for the enjoyment of their females), light choking

TL;DR
Alien Dothraki romantasy novel (with spicy scenes) that plays on another planet. While the male character has alpha tendencies, he has taken a good sip of "respect women" juice and treats his wife rather well. The development of the romance happens relatively quickly but the insta-love/insta-lust is one-sided on the MMC's side for the first chapters. 

Dragonfruit is a standalone oceanic fantasy inspired by the Pacific Island mythology that is aimed at Young Adult readers but can be enjoyed by adults as well. (Given the intensity of some scenes, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 16 years.) It has a hint of romance (it is the sub-plot), so please ignore the "romantic fantasy".

The following review likely includes spoilers (especially in the TWs at the end).

PLOT
Hanalei "Hana" of Tamarind is the daughter of an old island family who lives in exile as her father stole a seadragon egg that had been meant for the ailing princess of the island. Following her father's death, she's forced to endure gruesome work as a child until she is too old for it, which pushes her to work for a school that studies the seadragons that roam in the Nominomi Sea. Upon such an encounter, she saves two dragons (and their eggs) from a dragon hunter who then takes her captive and forces her to help him hunt the two dragons (and their eggs). The hunt takes them to Tamarind where she gets the chance to flee and face her own past. What follows is her, and Samahtitamahenele's "Sam", hunt for the dragons and their eggs as well as Sam hopes to get one to heal his mother.

WORLD-BUILDING & MAGIC
The book is set in a fantasy world that is heavily influenced by Pacific Islander mythology and history. And while the the plot is relatively contained in terms of location (as the majority plays on Tamarind), the author still includes enough other islands, the outside world (aka white people), the islands' histories etc. to make the world feel alive and full.
As for the magic, there are the magical abilities of seadragon eggs that the consumption of parts of the baby dragon and the egg would fulfil someone's deepest wish (even if it comes with a terrible price). In addition, Tamarindi islanders have markings that are ... well, magical tattoos of animals that can become real creatures that can exist outside of the skin, so the marking's owner can use their marking. All markings have personality, names and their own character.

CHARACTERS
Hana and Sam are the main characters of the book and I found them very loveable and compelling as main characters. In addition to them, there are also plenty of side characters who are either on their side or are their opponents/enemies.

Hana is a young, independent woman who suffers from the past and thinks that she isn't welcome at Tamarind because of what happened (despite being a victim in a way as well). Her hardships have matured her beyond her age and she's well educated (especially when it comes to seadragons). She's brave and compassionate (especially towards the seadragons who are viewed as a pest by everyone else). Sam is the last prince of Tamarind, who cannot inherit his grandmother's throne as their society is matriarchal, so he's faced with the dilemma of having to marry and have many daughters or finding a dragon egg to heal his mother who's supposed to be the next queen. At some points, he feels slightly flat and could have benefitted from having a few more pages, but on average, he's an enjoyable young adult character.

My favourite side character was Vatuu (I hope that I wrote the name correctly because I listened to the audiobook, so I don't know the bat's spelling). Justice for Vatuu!

TW & CW
While the book is aimed at Young Adult readers, I wouldn't recommend it to readers on the younger spectrum because of a few violent/disturbing scenes (that even gave me pause and I'm in my mid 30s).

general violence, blood, injury, vore (a sea dragon devours several children and two adults, their bodies are visible when they are swallowed and fight against the dragon from the inside), animal cruelty and death, consumption of dead dragon babies, off-page death of parents, magical sleep, attempted sexual assault (I hope I didn't forget anything)

TL;DR
An ocean-inspired fantasy read for young adults and adults that features the question "How far would you go to achieve your deepest desire and are you willing to pay the price for it?. A well-rounded read with loveable characters and a new take on magic in the form of magical tattoos, which also incorporates the themes of community & family, greed & sacrifice, as well as responsibility and the history of one's family and with it the kingdoms. 

The Succubus's Prize is the fourth instalment in the on-going series A Deal With A Demon and features Belladonna (human) and Rusalka (succubus). It plays in the established universe from the previous books and mentions previous characters (only the other male leaders) but it can be 100% read as a standalone. It is a very short (not even 180 pages) fast-paced spicy monster romance.

The following review might include spoilers.

PLOT
Belladonna made a deal with the demon Azazel. In exchange for seven years of servitude, her sister will get treatment for her cancer, acceptance into her college of choice, and access to a trust fund. Rather reluctantly, Azazel allows her to sign the contract and whisks her away to his realm where she gets "auctioned off" to Rusalka. Unlike with the other leaders, Azazel talks to Rusalka before the auction to point out that they should take Belladonna as they are the most likely to do well with her as Belladonna suffers from massive religious trauma. Over a relatively short period of time, both get to know each other better and fall in love. Of course, there are struggles - just like in the previous books - but they do get their happy end at the end.

WORLD-BUILDING & MAGIC
As mentioned, it plays in the same universe as the previous books but focuses on Rusalka's realm where the succubus and incubi live. It's community-based living with "everyone does the job that they love while everyone will be involved into the undesired ones from time to time". The entire world-building is relatively superficial (similar to the previous books) and benefits from the fact that the reader is likely to know the world. If you haven't read the previous books: don't worry, Rusalka explains enough to Belladonna to give the reader a brief overview as well. E.g., why the realms require humans for offspring, how the first dragons/kraken/succubi & incubi/... came to be and so on. The magic is connected to the succubi (fire) and incubi (shadows) and isn't much touched upon aside from mentions that Rusalka has often her fire around her and that they can use it as a weapon if required. In addition, they can sense emotions and influence them as well (especially desire), and can shape-shift as they aren't limited to strict gender rules.

CHARACTERS
Belladonna (she/her) and Rusalka (she/they) are the main characters of the story. In addition to them, there are three side characters that makeup Rusalka's court (her inner circle), a few other side characters (the mate of one court member, the gardener that takes Belladonna under his wing, ...), short scenes with Azazel and Ramanu, and mentions of Sol (the dragon from book 1), Thane (the kraken from book 2) and Bram (the gargoyle from book 3).

Belladonna deals with massive religious trauma as her parents are part of a cult-like Christian church but also suffers from shame and guilt. The shame is partly explained (and linked to her religious upbringing) but the guilt part isn't really explained. The author just says that she suffers from guilt and that's it. In addition, she's a mid-sized/plus-sized character and views herself as unattractive due to her upbringing. She's the kind of character who puts others above her own needs and safety, e.g. getting into a deal with a demon for her sister (who doesn't really love her imo), offering to have the child as "it will benefit your people" and so on. Her healing feels very rushed (despite the epilogue) and I think the deconstruction of her religious trauma could have been handled better as it feels very heavy-handed and partly like a soap opera with the dialogue/monologue concerning it (e.g., "I have desires but I cannot act on them because of my shitty parents and their pastor" or "I want the shape-shifting succubus but I was told that sex is a sin!" or "If I do it, it will be for the people because I was told that I'm worth nothing"), which gets exhausting.
Rusalka on the other hand is a self-sacrificing character who would do anything for their people. I think with them, it's a case of "hard shell, soft inside" because they are worried about Belladonna's well-being and mentions more than once that "a more ruthless leader would accept her offer to have a child even if Belladonna would suffer from it". They are the kind of character who thinks that they have to do everything on their own, without relying on other people, despite having a supporting group who would be there to help.

ROMANCE
Unfortunately, the entire romance is utterly rushed. Their relationship could have benefitted from having more pages dedicated to the romance's development, so it would feel ... well, healthy. It is especially important as Belladonna is utterly fine with a play scene with four people (well, five if you consider herself as well) after one day of being in the realm and despite her religious upbringing that drilled into her "pre-marriage sex is sin, sex is to procreate, do not have sex with the same gender". Despite her vocal agreement, the scene felt icky as Belladonna is under the influence of Rusalka's magic to increase her desire and let her forget her shame/guilt for the time.

For the sex, I would give it 3 🌶️ as it is graphic and explicit but feels less intense than the sex scenes from the previous books. The sex scenes include oral sex, vaginal sex, double-sided fire dildo, fingering, sex parties, double vaginal penetration (epilogue), cream pie (epilogue), soft BDSM (restraints), "good girl", soft Dom/Sub, breeding kink, tail play, "let me care take of you".

TW & CW
For the TWs: religious trauma (alt-right church, cult-like church), emotional abuse by parents, toxic family members, gaslighting by family members, guilt-tripping by family members and the church, harmful body image, internalised homophobia/queerphobia, general concept of sin, cancer (sibling, mentioned multiple times in the story), drugging (consensual & magical), wanted pregnancy, wanted non-monogamous relationship. (Please, check the author's trigger warnings as well!)

As for the sexual content warnings: breeding kink, sex parties, shape-shifted sex (genital-related), sex toys, oral and vaginal sex, restraints (handcuffs), soft Dom/Sub, tail play, double vaginal penetration.

TL;DR
Sapphic/gender-fluid monster romance (with spicy scenes) that feels rushed and uninspired (compared to the previous books). The deconstruction of the religious trauma could have been handled better as it plays a massive part in the main character's background (and their relationship). Unfortunately, there are also a lot of typos and grammar mistakes that dimmed my enjoyment as well. Overall, very lacklustre and I did expect more/better. 

Run, Run Rabbit is the first instalment in a new, darker, series that plays in the Cambric Creek universe that the author had developed in previous novels like Morning Glory Milking Farm (which run under the series Cambric Creek). It can be read as a standalone but benefits from reading at least Moon Blooded Breeding Clinic as the other Hemmings make appearances and the clinic is mentioned as well.

PLOT
The book follows Vanessa and her developing relationship with Grayson Hemming as well her development in her career as she joins the law office (where Grayson is one of the partners). The plot starts in the present, at the year's Lupercalia festival, before it does a time jump into the past (six years prior and then from there to the present again), so the reader learns more about her and Grayson's relationship. Don't expect too much plot as sex plays the major factor in their relationship.

WORLD-BUILDING & MAGIC
As previously said, it plays in the Cambric Creek universe but mostly outside of Cambric Creek in Bridgeton as the law office is situated there. Cambric Creek starts to become the setting from the halfway point onwards when they go on dates or have lunch with Grayson's family after a full moon. Of course, the coffee shop, that plays a role in Morning Glory Milking Farm as well as in Sweet Berries is the setting for one scene as well. As the majority happens either at the law office, Grayson's house or at the Lupercalia festival, the entire world-building is rather shallow.

My personal issue with the Lupercalia festival: it's basically a sex party that is excused with "ancient rites". I wouldn't mind it much but the author mentions something along the lines of "if you are wolf, you will participate because it is in your nature" and Trapp appears shortly afterwards who is - as far as the reader knows - at the point in a committed relationship with a human woman. And it is known that Trapp participates because Vanessa thinks about how it would be if he would catch and fuck her at the festival.

CHARACTERS
Vanessa and Grayson are the main characters of the book but the reader meets the rest of his family as well (or again if they already read another book of the Cambric Creek universe as the Hemming family is a major player). Both characters are highly unsympathetic as they are manipulative assholes (mostly with each other but Vanessa also uses Grayson's family to get back at him when he left her).

In general, Vanessa is a horrible character. She is constantly scheming and planning to keep him interested ("the chase") but also to advance her career (and how she could use her new relationships with Grayson's family to her advantage). Especially icky in my opinion: the change of her political stance. She grew up in a mostly human neighbourhood, so her parents taught her to be "proud but quiet" about being a werewolf, which she never questioned. While she favoured the shifter community (highlighted by her career aspirations), she never had active issues with humans. As soon as she meets Jack (Grayson's father), she starts to change her view on the human/shifter situation and starts openly sharing Jack's opinion that shifters "are better than humans". It's a massive case of racism. In addition, I found her change especially problematic (and also Jack's opinion in general) because Jackson's wife is a human and Trapp is dating a human at the time. Vanessa even mentions that she can't understand why Trapp is wasting his time with a human woman when he could have a nice wolf instead.

Grayson, on the other hand, is a cold-hearted asshole. He's extremely arrogant, whines about his father's plans for him (e.g., "being a judge can't finance this lifestyle"), and gives generally major "rich privileged white cis man" vibes. I think of him as a buff, dark-haired Christian Grey as they both share the "I fuck, I don't love" view. Just like Vanessa, he's also manipulative and plays massive mind games with her (which borderline on emotional abuse at the workplace in my opinion). In my opinion, he isn't even just an "alphahole", he's just an abusive, mean asshole. And while he's a cold-hearted asshole mostly with Vanessa, and at work, he's rather open and warm with his family, which gave me whiplash.

(So far, the only Hemming werewolf that doesn't annoy me is Trapp but it might change after reading his book that comes out in summer 2024.)

ROMANCE
It's a toxic workplace romance that functions mostly on the forbidden aspect of it and feels very obsessive. While they aren't officially committed to each other, and occasionally fuck other men/women, they both react very jealously whenever one of them fucked someone else. Especially Grayson as soon as Vanessa had been with another werewolf between the full moon phases. Neither of them can communicate with the other (out of stubbornness/fear/... - there's no official mention of it but they have massive miscommunication issues), which results in problems in the last third of the book. If either of them had actually said "Hey, I want to be in a serious relationship with you" (which is something that Vanessa had been chasing pretty early on and Grayson had the possessive behaviour to match), they would have been a lot happier with each other.

I would rate the sex scenes with 4 🌶️ on the spice scale as they are rather graphic and explicit.

TW & CW
For general trigger warnings, head the author's warnings at the beginning of the book.

inappropriate workplace romance, power imbalance between main characters (boss/semi-direct employee), general sexual content, toxic relationship, abortion & unwanted pregnancy, emotional abuse, classism/racism, sexual assault/harassment (at the Lupercalia festival), gossiping at the workplace, non-monogamic relationship, discussions of trafficking

For the sexual content warnings:
primal play, knotting, breeding kink, power play, public sex & voyeurism, off-page sex with multiple partners, beastality (shifted shifter with unshifted shifter sex), soft BDSM vibes, choking/breathplay

TL;DR
A toxic and inappropriate workplace romance with highly unlikeable two wolf shifters as main characters who manipulate each other all the time. Plays in an established universe but can be read on its own. A darker, spicy paranormal romance without an actual HEA. 

Kings and Monsters is the fourth instalment in the Three Fates Mafia series although it can also be read as a standalone. It's a fast-paced spicy monster romance with a M/M. As it has barely 200 pages, it feels like a novella and can be easily read within a day.

The review might contain spoilers.

PLOT
Unlike with Killers and Monsters, the fourth book has actually a plot. Granted, it isn't a very large one but there's a plot. ;)
Grim and Ryan meet in a sex club where they engage in each other before parting ways. In the following six months, Grim moves from job to job, from place to place, as death follows him. He has finally enough when the decapitated head of his boss starts to speak, so he flees the scene but gets pursued by machine monsters that force him over a cliff where he lands on Ryan's car, causing a massive accident. Ryan knows right away that Grim is a demi-god and despite his urge to kill him, he takes him away from the scene and flees to his apartment with the unconscious Grim. Due to sexual tension, they both decide that they will fuck one night before Grim will leave as he doesn't want to be a demi-god and just wants a peaceful life. The following morning, Grim gets assaulted by Theseus and the Chimera after leaving Ryan's mansion and gets kidnapped to act as bait for Ryan as it is revealed that they are fated mates. The following chapters are just about them finding each other again and finding a way to be together. Here, Grim also gets his memories back, which sparks their revenge on Theseus as he is behind everything.

WORLD-BUILDING & MAGIC
As it is still set in the same world as Killers and Monsters, it plays in Moirai, a fictional city in California. Time-wise, it's roughly a year after the second instalment as Serena's twins are born and can breathe fire (so I would say that they are around 6 months old and she was in the 1st trimester in her epilogue). The book still incorporates mafia elements but they are more subdued and play only a role when it comes to taking revenge on Theseus. There's still no actual magic but Grim has powers granted by his godly father, Hades, which are magical enough. In addition, there's the introduction of the actual Labyrinth of the Minoan Bull myth. The Labyrinth exists outside of time and space as its own thing, so days within it can either be hours/weeks/months or years on the outside (or vice versa). It has a mind of its own as well.

CHARACTERS
In comparison, the cast is very small in Kings and Monsters as the book follows Grim and Ryan on their journey to become a couple (and to take revenge). Of course, there are mentions of characters that have been met in the previous books (e.g., Ian/Serena/Luca, Cerberus & their mate, Percy & Madeline, Theseus and Orpheus) but they play very small side roles.
Grim is the son of Hades and is rather pragmatic and still surprisingly optimistic despite his past. Still, he's rather sardonic from time to time and fed up with the bizarre things happening around him (in the first chapters). He's described as tall (over 6 feet), broad-shouldered and with a soft stomach, so he might be on the plus-size spectrum. While there's fan art within the book, I still found it difficult to tell if he's really plus-size or not. Ryan is the Minoan Bull and can shapeshift between his true bull form and his human form. True to him being a bull: he can be stubborn. He's also a worrier (about his place within the Three Fates mafia, about his employees considering him a good boss, ...) and has a horrible memory for names. For a monster, he feels very human and more fleshed out than Ian.

ROMANCE
Due to the "fated mates" trope, their romance is also insta-lust and insta-love. Unlike the Serena/Luca/Ian relationship, I found Grim's and Ryan's relationship by far healthier and better developed. They talk with each other and take each other's concerns seriously. There's no obsession, blackmail or grooming/paedophilia in their relationship. Of course, there's an age gap but Grim is an adult (in his 30s), so the power balance isn't too one-sided.

For the sex, I would also give it 4 🌶️ as it is very graphic and the book opens with a sex scene (oral and anal sex). Overall, the two constantly fuck (for hours) and there's sex in pretty much every chapter. If you are into it: large, golden bull cock, pierced penis, oral and anal sex, choking & breath play, nipple play & nipple pumps, BDSM, Dom/Sub (both are switches), mating bites, actual monster sex (as in Ryan being in his bull form), collaring, leashing, paddling, breeding kink, consensual degradation, sensory deprivation (blindfolds), restraints (handcuffs), gags and muzzles, rimming & edging, primal hunting/play, size differences. (I likely forgot something but let's just say that the sex is very spicy.)

TW & CW
Please, head the trigger warnings and content warnings that the author lists at the beginning of the book. In addition, I would add the following for TWs:

decapitation, multiple murders, general violence, multiple death of main character, attempted murder, trafficking and child slavery (Grim gets sold as a child to Theseus as his foster father blames him for a death), grooming (Theseus grooms Grim into an assassin), death of family (mother, grandparents, aunt & uncle, cousin), foster care, captivity and kidnapping (on page and past), drugging, memory/mind manipulation, ...

As for the sexual content warnings:
bull cock, pierced penis, oral and anal sex, choking & breath play, nipple play & nipple pumps, BDSM, Dom/Sub, mating bites, actual monster sex, collaring, leashing, paddling, breeding kink, consensual degradation, sensory deprivation (blindfolds), restraints (handcuffs), gags and muzzles, rimming & edging, primal hunting/play, size differences, impact play, begging, flogging, frotting, large amount of cum, ...

Please check other reviews for more or additional trigger warnings and content warnings as these are the ones that I just mentioned in my journal entries on Storygraph.

TL;DR
Short, fast-paced monster romance with a focus on graphic and explicit sex scenes with an M/M pairing and the "fated mates" trope. Both MMCs are burley cinnamon rolls with murderous tendencies who have a surprisingly healthy relationship with each other (especially for a mafia setting). Based on the Minoan Bull myth but with a HEA for the bull.