Of Blades and Wings - Review

Of Blades and Wings (Flame Cursed Fae, # 1)

By: Eliza Raine

Publication: March 14, 2024 by Logic in Creativity Ltd

298 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fae, Romantasy

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Fae fantasy meets Vikings in this enemies-to-lovers romance about a broken ice-fae princess who must earn her Valkyrie wings, a villainous fire-fae who will stop at nothing to get his revenge, and an ancient war that could see their whole world burn.Princess Madivia is broken. Her fae magic doesn’t work, her illness will kill her, and nobody knows she exists.So when the gods select her to leave her tower in the Ice Court and train to be a Valkyrie at Featherblade, she is sure they’ve made a terrible mistake.So is every other fae at Featherblade. All except the disgraced fire-fae Valkyrie, Kain. His burning gaze never leaves her. Nobody knows what he did to have his wings taken away, but he is as dangerous as the deadly world Maddy has been drawn into.And she has the key to his revenge.If he discovers her secret, it won’t just be Maddy’s life that is in danger. She knows she should avoid him.But, the only thing harder than becoming a Valkyrie? Conquering her searing fascination with the unhinged fire-fae.If she is to survive Featherblade, she must earn her wings. If she is to survive Kain, she must make a choice that could burn their world to ash.This is the first book in the Flame Cursed Fae romantasy series, and is inspired by Norse mythology and sexy fae Vikings. It has villain gets the girl and obsessive burn-the-world-down-for-her (literally) hero vibes. The romance is slow burn and builds in steam and delicious tension.

I hate when a book description tells the truth but twists things in a way that makes the book feel like it's going to be something different than it is. Maddy is hidden by her family. Sure, they might realize that she possesses a magic that can be used to benefit them and harm their enemies. But at this point, they aren't hiding her because they value her. They hide her because they seem to be ashamed of her. She can't do much ice magic. Her family has basically claimed that she is her sister's handmaiden. Her sister has been preparing for the Valkyrie training, but when the Valkyries show up, they take Maddy instead.

Maddy arrives as Featherblade and all the other rooks (Valkyrie candidates) seem to immediately hate her. Valkyries train and fight together, and the weakest link will get them all killed. Maddy doesn't have any visible magic, and she's physically weak. She has a condition that causes her to pass out randomly. And she's afraid of passing out in the middle of a fight, while swimming, or flying, or any other manner of activities that could result in her immediate death. I felt for Maddy. She has the odds stacked against her. And her mental magic that she has to hide almost seems to give her ADHD like symtpoms of inattention and focus as well as maybe some other things. But I liked that Maddy was determined to make this work for her. She never gave up. I particularly liked her motto: Do what you can. Ignore what you can't.

Kain is a mysterious character. We don't know why he's lost his wings or why he is viewed as untrustworthy, yet he remains a teacher. He follows Maddy, but he isn't around all the time. He makes it clear that he views his punishment as unjust, and if possible, he will bring retribution upon those responsible for it. Yet, we don't know who those are. We don't really know why he's keeping tabs on Maddy. We are given a reason eventually, but it is flimsy at best.

I only highlighted a handful of times. One time it was because the sentence was followed by an immediate contradiction.

-It is an excellent defense mechanism, as enemy raiders not only don't know where they are going--they also don't know how to escape when they are caught. And we are raided often, usually by the gold fae.

So...not an excellent defense mechanism after all if you're raided often?

The other quotes were either things that I could see being brought back around in the future, but as of completing the second book in the series, they have not come into play.

I also felt like in a sea of fantasy books that are 600-1000 pages long, it was both annoying and nice to have such a short book. It was nice to be able to finish a book quickly. It was odd and annoying because the story didn't feel like it should have been one book. As a matter of fact, I've already finished book 2, Of Frost and Feather, and those two definitely felt like they could have been smooshed together. The pacing just didn't feel like what I've come to expect from the genre.

I won't say that this book was particularly well written. But I did want to continue reading as soon as I was done with Of Blades & Wings. Given I already had book 2 on hand, I did just that. I will also note that language was excessive. Yet there was only one scene that I remember being spicy in nature. Just putting it out there for those who care. Of Blades and Wings gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Of Blades and Wings? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 11/1/26

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

And I missed another Sunday Post. Man this is getting bad. Granted, October is one of our top two busiest months of the year. Husband was off work the week of the 19th-23rd. We still had school to do. Monday (19th) afternoon we had family pictures made. Tuesday was Big Girl's 11th birthday! We went to a new restuarant in our area for lunch. Then we had a spontaneous birthday dinner with grandparents for her birthday dinner. Thursday (22nd) we had band and nature class and then met up with friends at the park. Saturday (24th) we went to the pumpkin patch for a friend's birthday. This past week was pretty normal at the beginning. Monday, Big Girl had pitching lessons. Wednesday, Big Boy had pitching lessons. Thursday, we spent the day with my parents. I did have to run to pick up birthday donuts for Big Boy and return a package to the UPS store for my mom. Friday was Big Boy's 9th birthday. We went to our local skating rink and met friends there. We also had Jack's for dinner as fried chicken is his favorite. Saturday, we carved pumpkins, had a family birthday get together, and then went trick-or-treating. I have been crocheting a blanket to give as a gift, so I have only been able to listen to audiobooks or watch something on my phone while doing that. I'm trying to finish it as quickly as possible.

THE PAST TWO WEEKS

Monday 10/19: All Things Halloween Review of Thorns and Fire (The Ashes of Thezmarr, # 2) by Helen Scheuerer (3.5 Stars)
Thursday 10/22: All Things Halloween Review of Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, # 0.5) by Suzanne Collins (4 Stars)
Friday 10/23: Homeschool Friday - Zoe's Hiding Place
Monday 10/26: All Things Halloween Review of Dire Bound (The Wolves of Ruin, # 1) by Sable Sorensen (3.5 Stars)
Wednesday 10/28: Can't Wait for A Match for the Marquess (London's Most Eligible, # 2) by Chelsea Bobulski
Thursday 10/29: All Things Halloween Review of Silver Elite (Silver Elite, # 1) by Dani Francis (3.5 Stars)
Friday 10/30: Homeschool Friday - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

My annual "All Things Halloween" event has ended. This is my month-long event where I feature reviews from Halloween-y genres (fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, sci-fi, horror, mystery, thriller, and suspense). Over the last few years I've had mostly fantasy books as I just haven't been in the mood for much horror, but still...these are books that can get you in the mood for Halloween.

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Of Blades and Wings (Flame Cursed Fae, #1) by Eliza Raine
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Breath as Prayer for Kids

NEW BOOKS:

When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, # 1)

By: Sarah A Parker

Publication: June 13, 2024 by HarperCollins

576 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Dragons, Romantasy

Source: Borrowed from Libby

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--He's fire and brimstone.
I'm shattered ice …
I'll gladly burn beneath him until the world comes crumbling down.
As an assassin for the rebellion, Raeve’s job is to complete orders and never get caught. When a rival bounty hunter shatters her world, Raeve finds herself captured by the Guild of Nobles – a group of powerful fae.

Crushed by the loss of his great love, dragon rider Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to quell the never-ebbing ache in his chest, a clue lures him into the capital’s high-security prison where he stumbles upon the imprisoned Raeve …

Together, they seek truths that threaten to unravel everything they knew about their world – and each other.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, # 1 or 2--depending upon your preferred numbering)

By: CS Lewis

Publication: October 16, 1950

180 pages

Genre: Children's, Classics, Fantasy, Adventure, Christian

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--They open a door and enter a world NARNIA...the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy...the place where the adventure begins. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the Magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an eye, their lives are changed forever.

What can I add to the discussion of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? This won't be a lengthy analysis of this book. I read this to my children as a read aloud. So I mostly want to focus on that. I found it ironic that my son focused in on Edmund and his naughty behavior, yet I know him well enough to know that he would have totally been an Edmund himself if he were in the story. I do hope he'll follow Edmund in the turn around that he had in the series though. I do see growth in him.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is, at it's core, a good versus evil story. Aslan is good. The witch is bad. As a parent, of course, I picked up on a lot more symbolism than the kids did. They were only 9, 7, and 4 when I was reading it to them.

Favorite quotes:

-You'll understand when you see him."
"But shall we see him?" asked Susan
"Why, Daughter of Eve, that's what I brought you here for. I'm to lead you to where you shall meet him," said Mr Beaver.
"Is--is he a man?" asked Lucy.
"Aslan a man!" said Mr Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion--the Lion, the great Lion."
"Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he--quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
"Im longing to see him," said Peter, "even if I do feel frightened when it comes to the point."
"That's right, Son of Adam." said Mr. Beaver...

-"So've I, now you come to speak of it," said her husband, "but precious few, and they were the ones least like men. But in general, take my advice, when you meet anything that's going to be human and isn't yet, or used to be human once and isn't now, or ought to be human and isn't, you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet."

My kids really enjoyed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I got more out of it than they did, but that's the way of being an adult. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe gets 5 Stars from us. Have you read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? What did you think? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review - Silver Elite

Silver Elite (Silver Elite, #1)

By: Dani Francis

Publication: May 6, 2025 by Del Rey

512 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Psychic gifts are a death sentence and there are rules to survival: Trust no one. Lie to everyone. And whatever you do, don’t fall for your greatest enemy.

TRUST NO ONE.

Wren Darlington has spent her whole life in hiding, honing her psychic abilities and aiding the rebel Uprising in small ways. On the Continent, being Modified means certain death—and Wren is one of the most powerful Mods in existence. When one careless mistake places her in the hands of the enemy and she’s forced to join Silver Block, their most elite training program, she’s finally handed the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks.

LIE TO EVERYONE.

But training for Silver Block can be deadly, especially when you’re harboring dangerous secrets and living in close quarters with everyone who wants you dead.

AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T FALL FOR YOUR GREATEST ENEMY.

As the stakes grow ever higher, Wren must prove herself. But that’s easier said than done when your commanding officer is the ruthless and infuriatingly irresistible Cross Redden, who doesn’t miss anything when it comes to her. And as war rages between Mods like her and those who aim to destroy them, Wren must decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect herself . . . and how much of the Continent is worth saving.

The world of Silver Elite has been killing off anyone with psychic abilities, called Modified or silverbloods. Their veins glow when they're using their powers, so it's not something that is easily hidden. However, Wren is unique. Her veins don't glow. Wren's parents were killed, and her mother entrusted her to a man she called her uncle, but they didn't share any blood. Jim took her into an area covered in darkness at all hours of the day. They lived there for years. Wren learned how to navigate it, and Jim taught her how to use her abilities.

But Uncle Jim gets captured as a suspected rebel participating in the Uprising. And he gets condemned to execution. In an attempt to save him. Wren gets captured as well. And her "sentence" is to go through the training program which ultimately leads to the Silver Elite. She is up against many other cadets who are trying for the program too. And there are challenges, but only in the way of training. Wren is now in the most dangerous place possible. She is surrounded by people who would kill her on the spot if she displayed any psychic abilities. Cross in particular is nearly convinced that she's a Mod, but he isn't certain yet. And keeping his eye on her in the only way to be sure one way or the other.

Some annoyances for me involved Wren's expectations of a relationship/marriage. She claims that she's seen many women bend to the will of men. Yet diversity for diversity's sake is present within the story. So how does that qualify? I also don't like the flippant use of the b-word. There are spicy scenes that I could definitely do without. And language abounds, which I also find unnecessary for a good story.

-..."reckless is not the same as brave."

-"Rushing headfirst into danger is not an act of courage..."

Nearly all of my highlights had to do with things that annoyed me or things I thought would come back around. So there's not much in the way of poetic or memorable quotes.

The best part of this book is the suspense of will she or won't she get caught. And that was on-point. There's one more book in this series, I believe, and I want to read it, but I'm not dying for it immediately. Silver Elite gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Silver Elite? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Can't Wait for A Match for the Marquess

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

A Match for the Marquess (London's Most Eligible, # 2)

By: Chelsea Bobulski

Expected Publication: February 2, 2027 by Haven

336 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Clean Romance, Edwardian

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--American heiress Rose Carrington knows exactly what she wants in a husband, and the Marquess of Holbrook--with his roguish behavior--doesn't have it. But when a lively English house party throws the polar opposites together as unlikely partners in a week of spirited competition, Rose finds her carefully ordered plans turned upside down.

August Shaw has spent years perfecting the art of charming everyone while committing to no one, but Rose and her impossible expectations make him wonder if he's been wrong about what he wants. And even as he offers to help her catch the attention of a more suitable houseguest, August finds himself wishing he could be the type of man to win her love.

As the games grow more competitive, Rose's feelings toward August begin to betray her. How could someone so far from her ideal find his way into her heart?

Chelsea Bobulski weaves together yearning and wit in her charming opposites-attract romance set in Edwardian-era England.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!