Tag Archives: Grade B

TBR Challenge Review: Slacking Off in the Palace, with Grand Scholars Vying for My Favor by Zhai Miao

TBR Challenge Review: 灯花笑 (Deng Hua Xiao) by 千山茶客 (Qian Shan Cha Ke)

灯花笑 (Dēng Huā Xiào) by 千山茶客 (Qiān Shān Chá Kè)
Historical [romance] novel set in Ancient China published in 2023.

Lu Tong went to the mountains to study medicine for seven years. When she returned home, she discovered that everything had changed.

Her older sister was harmed by others and murdered. Her older brother was unjustly imprisoned and executed. Her father went to the capital to voice his grievances, but encountered a suspicious flood along the way. Her mother went crazy overnight and died in a fire.

Lu Tong packed up her medicine box and went to the capital for vengeance.

“Pay back your debts with coin, pay back your murders with your life!
If there is no judge, I will be the king of hell!”

***

One after another, the noble families in the capital encountered troubles.

The commander of the Imperial Guard, Pei Yun Ying, secretly investigated the matter. A female doctor at Renxin Medical Center became his main suspect.

However… before he could find any evidence, she took action against him first. (Taken and lightly edited from NU. Original source.)

The premise/prompt for the February TBR Challenge was “Previously, In Romance… (suggestions: part of a series, author you haven’t read in a while, Old School)” and it felt like … both everything yet also nothing I’d read recently fit. So we’re going with an author I ~haven’t read in a while – who happens to be one of my favorites. (I’m also currently rewatching/background watching The Double which was adapted from one of QSCK’s novels, and it’s still such a great series and production.) Also … 😅 a book set in Ancient China is “old school” right? Anyway maybe because everything is terrible I didn’t love it as much as I expected – or more that I felt that the romance wasn’t as strong as in some of her previous books … but it’s still a really excellent story, and I have high hopes for the drama adaptation. I think all of her books have been licensed/are planned for or various stages of adaptation. I finished the book a week ago and still keep thinking about it. Continue reading →

Belated TBR Challenge Review: 九重紫 (Jiu Chong Zi) by 吱吱 (Zhi Zhi)

5 Replies

九重紫 (Jiu Chong Zi) by 吱吱 (Zhi Zhi)
Historical romance published in 2022

She is the legitimate daughter of the Dou family who lost her mother at a young age. Her status is noble, yet she is like a floating duckweed in the wind, with a pitiable fate. Her past karma remains unfinished, and in this lifetime, she returns to the bustling world, leaving behind the past of the mortal realm, seeking only a peaceful and enduring life like a gentle stream flowing endlessly. But unexpectedly, fate plays tricks, the more she tries to escape, the more she becomes entangled in the mortal world.

In a single encounter, she intruded into his heart, and in the mysterious realm of destiny, their love bond was already fated.

He is the highly esteemed heir, elegant and noble, yet trapped by his birth father’s schemes, facing difficulties at every step.

Amidst a faint fragrance floating, in a fleeting moment of brilliance, he dares to touch the forbidden, abandoning the prestigious and beautiful branches for the sake of a sincere heart, secretly pledging himself to the beloved.

Love has already blossomed, but the inner demons are hard to quell. The harder it is to attain, the more relentlessly it is pursued.

He takes the beauty as his own, experiencing the joys and sorrows of life together, never parting even in old age. She gives him genuine affection and lends him a helping hand; he offers her devoted love, helping her shed all hostility. Through all the ups and downs of life, she and he weather the storms together.

Can holding each other’s hands bring a lifetime of peace and stability? – lightly edited from NU

So the prompt this month was “drama!” and honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what book to choose. I’ve read a few I enjoyed but didn’t love (or super hate…) … but this one is the basis of a drama I’m looking forward to, so we’re going with 九重紫. The upcoming drama title is Blossom – fingers crossed it’s good. I’m very curious how they condensed a 523 chapter novel into just 34 ~45 minute episodes, so we’ll see. (I mean of course there was filler in the novel that could be cut … but not that much.) All that being said, our heroine here isn’t someone you love right off the bat, but she grew on me and I really loved her and felt she and our hero were a perfect pair. (Which of course is the point, but it’s extra here.) Continue reading →

Belated TBR Challenge Review: 白日提灯 (Carrying a Lantern in Daylight) by 黎青燃 (Li Qing Ran)

2 Replies

So ALBTALBS was down for a few weeks which I didn’t even know it was down until I tried writing the July TBR Challenge review. 🫠 I tried contacting my host and everything and I guess there was some massive DDoS attack … and the site finally came back a few days ago. As my body and the universe hates me … I didn’t get to writing this review till now – cuz also procrastination is something I do excel at, unfortunately.
Anyway, to the actual substance! A review!

白日提灯 (Carrying a Lantern in Daylight) by 黎青燃 (Li Qing Ran)

He Simu used to pick up people on the battlefield to earn her a living, but was unexpectedly picked up by someone.
The young general who picked her up seemed to see her as a weak woman orphaned by the war, and took great care of her.
So He Simu conscientiously and dutifully played the part of the weak woman.
— “Oh my, blood! I am most afraid of blood, I faint when I see blood !”
——”This water basin is so heavy and I have so little strength, I can’t move it at all!”
——”You guys fight and kill all day long, how scary!”
The female general who had an unrequited love on the young general angrily said, “Brother Duan certainly doesn’t like such a delicate young girl like you!”
He Simu tilted her head: “Really?”
One day, the young general made a mistake on the battlefield, after being tricked by others.
He Simu, who couldn’t lift her shoulders nor her hands and would faint at the sight of blood, loosened up her muscles, and lit up a ghost lamp: “I wanna see who dares to bully our General Duan, little fox Duan ?”
Duan Xu then thought, he shouldn’t have provoked the Ghost King.
It took him several months to learn that her real name was He Simu.
But maybe even with a lifetime, he still couldn’t let her remember his name in her four hundred years of long life.
“My name is Duan Xu, Xu like in ‘Feng Lang Ju Xu’*.” (*a famous chinese idiom)
—————
The super strong female Ghost King female lead faking weakness daily and the cunning special soldier young general male lead – blurb from NU

I actually picked up this book because I saw a melon that the book has been adapted, and the cast was Dilraba and Arthur Chen FeiYu and I thought “well that’s an interesting pairing” so I went to look up the book and was like “that blurb sounds fantastic!” And while I found it a bit misleading, I did really like the book, and think if the actors bring their A game it has the potential to be an excellent drama. So yay! I was also ready for some morally grey and/or trickster characters. Continue reading →

Review: Rogue Familiar by Jeffe Kennedy

1 Reply

Rogue Familiar by Jeffe Kennedy
Fantasy romance released by Brightlynx Publishing on April 24, 2023

He left to save her from herself… But who will save him from her?

When Lady Seliah Phel wakes from a drugged sleep to find herself abandoned by her newly bonded wizard, she vows revenge—and to hunt him down. Tracking him through the familiar wilds of the marshlands of her home is the easy part; learning to use her nascent magical skills is something else entirely. So is facing the vast, uncaring society of the Convocation in a time of brewing war.

Jadren El-Adrel is not known for doing the right thing, but getting as far away from Seliah as possible before he drains her dry will be his one noble gesture. So what if she weeps a few tears. Better than her dying in his service—or enabling him to become the ravenous beast that crawls beneath his skin. Unfortunately, in his self-imposed exile, and without the power of his familiar, Jadren quickly runs afoul of the enemy.

As her vengeful quest for recapture becomes a rescue mission, Selly faces all she still doesn’t know about the greater world of wizards and familiars. And Jadren, once determined to walk his own path and stay far, far away from the idealistic fools of House Phel, finds himself aligning with them against the house of his birth. War is coming to the Convocation, which means a clever wizard should pick the side most likely to win.

Sadly, Jadren has never been all that clever…

I must confess, I’ve read this more than twice. It’s taken longer this year for me to
process how I feel and what I think about books, and then putting all that into words that
make some amount of sense. Which is to say, I’ve had this book glaring accusingly at
me, waiting for me to write a review already. This is the second full length novel in the
Renegades of Magic series, following the adventures (misadventures?) of Jadren and
Seliah, as well as Veronica and Gabriel. The structure reminds me of some early
romances I read where there were two couples, one more foregrounded, and the other
a compelling secondary storyline. This book also ends on a cliffhanger, and picks up
almost immediately where Shadow Wizard left off. Seliah and Jadren do even more
growing in this book, both as individuals and as a couple; we also learn more about the
way the other houses in this world work and how they may view Gabriel’s
noncompliance. Continue reading →

Review: How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole

1 Reply

How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole (Runaway Royals Series)
Contemporary romance released by Avon on May 25, 2021

Makeda Hicks has lost her job and her girlfriend in one fell swoop. The last thing she’s in the mood for is to rehash the story of her grandmother’s infamous summer fling with a runaway prince from Ibarania, or the investigator from the World Federation of Monarchies tasked with searching for Ibarania’s missing heir.

Yet when Beznaria Chetchevaliere crashes into her life, the sleek and sexy investigator exudes exactly the kind of chaos that organized and efficient Makeda finds irresistible, even if Bez is determined to drag her into a world of royal duty Makeda wants nothing to do with.

When a threat to her grandmother’s livelihood pushes Makeda to agree to return to Ibarania, Bez takes her on a transatlantic adventure with a crew of lovable weirdos, a fake marriage, and one-bed hijinks on the high seas. When they finally make it to Ibarania, they realize there’s more at stake than just cash and crown, and Makeda must learn what it means to fight for what she desires and not what she feels bound to by duty.

This was a wonderful romp with two very different main characters. I only wish we got to see more of them as a long-standing couple. Readers of this series and the Reluctant Royals series will recognize Beznaria from her appearance in How to Catch a Queen, as well as other characters. I think you can read this book without having read How to Catch a Queen, or the Reluctant Royals series, but you might miss out on a lot of the subplots going on. What this book is told in loosely alternating chapters in Beznaria and Makeda’s voices, and you get a really good sense of their personalities and way of moving through the world. This has become a fairly common way of structuring stories, but not everyone is good a capturing and conveying a character’s voice outside of dialogue, which you need to be able to do in order for this structure to live up to its full potential. Makeda and Beznaria both have a lot going on when they first meet, and much of the book is both of them sorting themselves out and figuring out that they love each other. Both also have complicated families that love them. Continue reading →

Fire of the Frost by Jeffe Kennedy, Grace Draven, Darynda Jones, and Amanda Bouchet

1 Reply

*Editor’s Note: I don’t normally do this but I’d like to note Aidee submitted this review in February of 2022, so my apologies to her, and you, and think that might be why there are some unknowns in the review that have already been answered. Thanks for understanding.

Fire of the Frost by Jeffe Kennedy, Grace Draven, Darynda Jones, and Amanda Bouchet
Midwinter Holiday Fantasy Romance Anthology Released by Brightlynx Publishing on December 22, 2021

From Darynda Jones, a standalone novella set in a world where vampyres are hunted for sport. The only thing standing between them and total annihilation is Winter, a warrior bred to save them from extinction. Forbidden to fall in love, Winter cares only about her oaths… until she meets the devilish prince of the underworld.

Of Fate and Fire by Amanda Bouchet
The Kingmaker Chronicles meets modern-day New York City! Piers, an exiled warrior from Thalyria, finds himself in the Big Apple just before the holidays. The world and everything in it might be utterly foreign to him, but that won’t stop Piers from helping to complete a vital mission for Athena and protect Sophie, a French teacher from Connecticut who’s suddenly knee-deep in inexplicable phenomena, danger, and henchmen after an Olympian treasure that should never have ended up in her hands—or remained on Earth after the Greek gods abandoned it.

The King of Hel by Grace Draven
A novella-length expansion of a stand-alone short story in which a cursed mage-king from a frozen kingdom is obligated to marry a woman of high-ranking nobility but meets his soulmate in a lowly scribe.

Familiar Winter Magic by Jeffe Kennedy
It’s holiday time at Convocation Academy, but best friends Han and Iliana are finding it hard to celebrate. As a familiar, Iliana is facing her assignment to a life of servitude to a wizard, very soon. And Han… despite being tested by the oracle daily, he is still uncategorized. As Iliana and Han face being separated forever, they at last find the courage—or desperation—to break the rules and acknowledge their deeper feelings for each other. But it will take more than true love to save them from the laws of the Convocation…

This was a good winter-themed anthology from some well-known authors. It landed a little unevenly on me, because I was not familiar with one of the authors’ writing, but if you’re familiar with most or all of the authors’ books, then this anthology is pretty good. There are four novellas in this anthology, and andeach one is based in a pre-existing world by one of the authors. Grace Draven’s novella is a prequel to her upcoming novel. Jeffe Kennedy’s novella introduces some new characters in her Bonds of Magic series. Amanda Bouchet’s novella ties together her two series. Darynda Jones’s novella was the least interesting to me, but that could be because I am not familiar with her books. Continue reading →

Review: Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

1 Reply

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone
Fantasy released by Henry Holt and Co. on September 28, 2021

A lush, gothic fantasy from debut author Lyndall Clipstone about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.

When Violeta Graceling and her younger brother Arien arrive at the haunted Lakesedge estate, they expect to find a monster. Leta knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.

As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn… Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.

If what you are looking for is a fantasy with romantic and gothic elements, then this is the book for you. It does end on a cliff hanger, and there are descriptions of child abuse and a lot of blood, so keep that in mind. The main characters are Violeta and Rowan, though this book is narrated from Violeta’s point of view. The romance is only part of the conflict driving this book. Violeta is driven to protect her younger brother from his out of control magic, from their adoptive mother who sees that magic as dangerous and evil, and from anything else she sees as wanting to harm him. That motivation is what drives this book for the most part. Rowan is a good example of a tortured hero, who is trying to make up for his past mistakes by trying to save the world.

This novel is set in a world with magic. There is a religion, with a goddess who reigns over nature and life; the characters call her Lady most of the time. And there is the Lord Under, who reigns over death and possibly bargains. There are alchemists, who wield magic by drawing symbols, known as sigils, as well as making various concoctions. We don’t spend a lot of time on alchemists and what they are capable of doing, even though Violeta’s brother–Arien–is an alchemist. Continue reading →

Review: Bright Familiar by Jeffe Kennedy

Team TBR Challenge Review: Shadow Wizard by Jeffe Kennedy

1 Reply

Shadow Wizard by Jeffe Kennedy
A Dark Fantasy Romance released by Brightlynx Publishing on September 29, 2022

Spy, manipulator, traitor… He might be her only salvation.

Lady Seliah Phel can’t escape feeling like she’s one of those fairytale princesses awakened from a long slumber—except that her life is no romantic story and there’s no happy ending in sight. Though she has her magic and she’s been rescued from the depths of madness that consumed her since adolescence, Selly finds that the years she lost aren’t so easily recovered. Everyone treats her like the child they remember. To prove something—perhaps only to herself—she’s recklessly volunteered to stave off a host of monsters with only the enigmatically alluring, cuttingly sarcastic, and probably deceitful wizard Jadren El-Adrel for company.

Jadren isn’t the heroic type. In fact, he’s not much of anything. Relentlessly groomed into a shadow of a man by his sadistic mother, he’s the perfect spy and tool, with no real will of his own. When he’s stranded in the wilderness with Seliah Phel, he figures the outcome is immaterial. Live or die, it’s all the same to him. But Seliah is a different story and she isn’t like anyone else. Though he reminds himself she’s basically a child in a woman’s body, he finds it increasingly difficult to resist her artless charms and relentless curiosity.

As their predicament goes from dire to disastrous, Jadren realizes his many failures have jeopardized Selly’s future, perhaps her very life. Far from home and trapped without resources, Selly has only Jadren to rely upon—the one person she can’t possibly trust. There seems no possibility of rescue from their friends and family back home at House Phel, so Jadren and Selly must work together to survive… if they can.

I was very excited about this book when I saw the cover copy. I had hoped that there would be more books in this Kennedy world, and while I would not have put Seliah and Jadren together, they do make a compelling couple. Following along as their relationship went from, “I hate you, but can’t stop thinking about your hair” as Sarah Wendell would put it, to love—if not a happily ever after, was engrossing. We met Seliah in the two previous books, but she has changed over time. We also met Jadren in the two previous books, but he has hidden depths. It helps that he isn’t a villain—he is an anti-hero. As a warning, this book does include descriptions of abuse and talks about PTSD, although not using that terminology. Also, this book does end on a cliffhanger and I feel like it would be generous to say that Seliah and Jadren have a HFN ending, but no one is in active danger, which worked for me in this case but, of course, your mileage may vary. And last but not least, this book picks up right where Grey Magic left Seliah, so while doable, I wouldn’t recommend jumping in to this world with this book; you might be confused and not as emotionally invested in the characters and their relationships. Continue reading →

Limecello

A Little Bit Tart, A Little Bit Sweet

Tag Archives: Grade B

TBR Challenge Review: Slacking Off in the Palace, with Grand Scholars Vying for My Favor by Zhai Miao

TBR Challenge Review: 灯花笑 (Deng Hua Xiao) by 千山茶客 (Qian Shan Cha Ke)

Belated TBR Challenge Review: 九重紫 (Jiu Chong Zi) by 吱吱 (Zhi Zhi)

Belated TBR Challenge Review: 白日提灯 (Carrying a Lantern in Daylight) by 黎青燃 (Li Qing Ran)

Review: Rogue Familiar by Jeffe Kennedy

Review: How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole

Fire of the Frost by Jeffe Kennedy, Grace Draven, Darynda Jones, and Amanda Bouchet

Review: Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

Review: Bright Familiar by Jeffe Kennedy

Team TBR Challenge Review: Shadow Wizard by Jeffe Kennedy

Follow Limecello