This is the first in Breene’s latest book series. I wanted to wait until the entire series had been released until I dug back into this one. I was excited for this since it is a retelling of The Beauty and The Beast storyline. I loved every word and detail of this world and its characters. Breene, as usual, set the first book up to be a series of epic proportioned. I loved our strong heroine, Finley, and the fact that she refuses to back down from Nyfain, especially in the face of his obvious physical strength over her. Hadriel became a favorite side character since he made me laugh a lot. He was a perfect dose of hilarity amongst the heavier tones within this. The pace remained quick while the world building was off the charts. This is exactly why I horde my other Breene books, like a dragon myself. No one does it the way she does. This is not a typical fairy tale, but it is Breene’s fresh take on it, that makes it something else entirely. (5/5 rating)
Tag: K.F. Breene
Book Review – Demon Days & Vampire Nights 11 – Demon Days & Vampire Nights 11 by K.F. Breene
This was the last book of the series in Breene’s Demon Days & Vampire Nights world. It is bittersweet to see this one end considering this is one of my favorite all-time series. Reagan will always be my favorite female protagonist. In this conclusion, we finally get to see the war that was hinted at several books previously. This was a wild ride with all the power players colliding for our control of the realm and Reagan is at the center of it as usual. All the outstanding plot points were resolved, though I expected a different confrontation with Lucifer based on foreshadowing in the previous books. Breene proves her mastery with this epic conclusion. I would love to see a series for the Druid, since I really fell in love with his character. (5/5 rating)
Book Review – The Culling Trials – Shadowspell Academy 1 by K.F. Breene & Shannon Mayer
This is a new magical series by Breene and Mayer. This story takes shape around a magical academy that forces children into attendance. When the summons arrives for her younger brother, again, his sister Wild takes his place, pretending to be a boy. The beginning of this series allows Wild to see the world as it really is, and it’s nothing like her rural upbringing. I loved Wild’s sheer strength and stubbornness along this wild ride (pun intended). I’m glad I waited the song to begin this series, as I plan to devour the remaining 5 in short order. I am embarrassed to admit that this has been on my TBR since 2019. If you haven’t picked this up, do it now. (5/5 rating)
Favorite Books for 2021
I was trying hard to single my read list for 2021 down to 1 book and realized how impossible that was to accomplish. For that reason, I have narrowed it down to my top 5 of the year. Please note that my list does not comprise of what came out this year, merely what I read this year.
1 – A Clash of Fates by Philip C. Quaintrell.
This series I fell in love with last year and the final installment was published this Spring. This is a self-published author that is a must read if you enjoy high fantasy, epic fantasy tales. It also has dragons and dragon riders and no romance. I do enjoy romance novels but sometimes I need something epic and this filled that hole.
2 – The Queen of All that Lives by Laura Thalassa.
This book is the third of a dystopian trilogy. It has a wonderful blend of romance, war, intrigue, technology advances, and betrayal. I love that the main character is this bad ass, fighting chic that becomes queen. I discovered Laura Thalassa this year and have worked my way through many of her novels.
3 – Vinyl by Sophia Elaine Hanson
This was another self published series with a dystopian setting. While it is a young adult, it was no high school drama. This book was a unique plot around subjugating the population to control measures by those in control. You need to read this right now.
4 – For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten.
I fell in love with the unique magic system and who could say no to a setting within a magical forest.
5 – A Ruin of Roses by K.F. Breene.
This was a new series this year by Breene based on Beauty and the Beast. Meant to a three part tale, I also fell in love with her woven drama and magic aspects. While it is definitely filled with romance, Breene is my favorite author for balancing both romance and the plot and she delivered here.
What were your favorites this year?
Book Review – Secret of McKinley Mansion By K.F. Breene
I wanted to try out this ghost story from one of my favorite paranormal authors. This was a step out of her normal genre but I still went on expecting great things. She is K.F. Breene, afterall. This story takes place in the rural town of Larkin with Ella as our heroine. The town has a regular ghost activity that people are either willing to admit or deny to their grave. Ella seems to attract more activity than Larkin’s normal patrons. She also catches the eye of the local fable, the white woman. The plot and characters were beyond mesmerizing. I thought it held good suspense for the horror aspect. I gave this an easy 5/5.
**Spoiler Alert**
Within the town of Larkin, any large thunderstorms bring the unsettled dead back to life for a short time. There are also fables about a white woman ghost, that came from the local mansion and lured away unsuspecting victims. Only for Ella, she is very real and has appeared to her several times over the years. Despite the urge to leave the house, Ella has resisted the pull – and stayed alive.
Then, suddenly her entire world is rearranged when a new family moves in across the street and the white woman appears at their house, for their high schooler son. She also points directly to Ella, who is watching the exchcange from her own window. She meets Braiden at school the next day and they get to discuss her appearance. They are drawn to each other and he doesn’t seem to be turned off by her obvious, high school ‘nerd’ tag. As a member of the sports teams, he is instntly part of the popular club.
He invites Ella and the popular kids for a day of visiting the town and to tell the legends of the buildings and local legends. This soon turns into an obsession with the local mansioon, which has a history of dissappearances from trespassers. A group of hgh school students forms to visit the mansion as night falls. Ella is sure they will all die and tracks them down to argue with them, but eventually gives into the pull to finally see the place atter hearing of it for so long.
Inside the mansion, decades of malice lock them inside and the run for their lives through mass of ghosts. Some with deadly party tricks and some armed with rocks. That is until Ella must finally meet the woman in white, face to face, and uncover the truth. A stunning ghost for me by Brreene.