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Review: First Light by Elizabeth Hunter

“‘Keep looking at me that way’ – his voice rumbled like soft thunder–’and I’ll forget all my strict rules about patience.’” (p.332) ★★★★☆ 🌶🌶 Series: Shadowlands, Book 1 Review: First, I would like to thank the author and Valentine PR for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Dragons and unicorns and forbidden love? I’m hooked! Refusing to believe her boyfriend of four months simply ghosted her, leaving behind his car and other belongings, Carys travels to Scotland from California to speak to Lachlan’s twin brother Duncan. Duncan is reluctant to tell her the truth, but when he does, he escorts her into an alternate dimension–the Shadowlands, a world of magic parallel to her own where Lachlan is a prince. All Brightkin–those living in the known world–have a “twin” Shadowkin in the Shadowlands. While she contends with the shocking reasons why Lachlan entered her realm and abruptly disappeared, she must also battle w
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Review: Amulet's Rapture by Linnea Tanner


★★★★☆

Series: Curse of Clansmen and Kings, Book 3

Review:

Amulet's Rapture is the third book in Linnea Tanner's award-winning Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. Although the author provides a short summary of the events that have transpired in the first two books—located prior to the Table of Contents—I strongly recommend that you do not read this book as a stand-alone. So much happens in the first two books that a short summary is not sufficient to prepare you for this epic saga! At this time, two more books are promised in the series, so there is so much of this story left to be revealed! 

If you have not yet read the first two books in the series, please do not read the rest of this review. Although I guarantee no spoilers from this book, I am unable to review Amulet's Rapture without revealing some spoilers of events that occurred Apollo's Raven and Dagger's Destiny.

While the events in Apollo's Raven and Dagger's Destiny had spanned only a few months, Amulet's Rapture covers a period of three years. Although there is less action in this installment, there is a greater focus on character development. After the brutal conclusion to Dagger's Destiny, Catrin has been enslaved by the Roman Decimus, who believes her to be an oracle of Apollo. He disguises her as a male so that her true identity will not be discovered and so that the soldiers will not defile her, since he believes her prophetic abilities require her to be chaste. The more Catrin suffers, the further she strays from her love for Marcellus, turning instead toward hate and vengeance. Meanwhile, Marcellus, whose memory was erased by Rhan and Marrock, is struggling internally, feeling as though he has lost his identity. He returns to Eliana, the married older woman who had taken his virginity in his youth, and due to Catrin's mystical powers, Catrin bears witness to his infidelity. In the events that follow, Marcellus experiences personal growth relating to duty, honor, and loyalty. 

Some of the dialogue in the series has felt a bit forced, but this issue was especially prominent in Amulet's Rapture. Additionally, there were numerous errors in the text. Although I received two review copies of this book from two different sources, I had actually purchased a copy as well, and the errors are present in both editions. While I felt that the story was stimulating and engaging, I was frequently distracted by the dialogue and errors. Another round of editing would greatly improve the quality of the book. 

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and I am really looking forward to the author publishing the next installment! 

I would like to thank Online Book Club and NetGalley for providing me with review copies of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

#NetGalley #AmuletsRapture

Audience: adult
Trigger warnings: violence, miscarriage, moderate sexual content
Recommended for fans of: historical fiction, historical fantasy, epic fantasy, Celtic history, Roman history

Author's Synopsis:

Blood stains her Celtic home and kingdom. The warrior Druid princess will do anything to retake her kingdom. 

Catrin is the rightful heir to the Celtic throne in Britannia, she is lucky to be alive. After witnessing the slaughter of her family at the hands of her half-brother, who was aided by the Romans, she is enslaved by a Roman commander. He disguises her as a boy in the Roman Legion with the belief that she is an oracle of Apollo and can foretell his future. The sole bright spot in her miserable new life is her forbidden lover Marcellus, the great-grandson of the famed Roman General Mark Antony. 

Marcellus has been wounded and his memories of Catrin and their secret marriage were erased by a dark Druidess. Though Marcellus reunites with Catrin in Gaul and becomes her ally as she struggles to survive the brutality of her Roman master, he questions the legitimacy of their marriage and hesitates to help her escape and retake her kingdom. If their forbidden love and alliance are discovered, her dreams of returning to her Celtic home with Marcellus will be shattered.

Sources:

Purchased copy, Online Book Club, NetGalley

©Apollo Raven Publisher: October 29, 2019
Edition: Kindle
359 pages


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