[ 434 ]

[katara]

Court of Tricksters (Fae Tricksters #1) by S.L. Prater

Sypnosis
The fae Duke of Night doesn't believe in love—but he'll claim his mate nonetheless.

Mating is a matter of politics for Night, not the heart. To prevent a forced union that will plunge the Lunar Court into war, he must find and bond his true mate.

When he lays eyes on Rain, he knows the shy forest witch is the bond mate he's been searching for. Unprepared for the intensity of his attraction, Night makes an offer that would keep his priorities straight and his court safe: a marriage of convenience. Any eligible woman—mortal and immortal alike—would leap at the chance to become the powerful duke's bride.

But Rain isn't interested.

She's lived outside of society too long to ever fit into Night's world of shapeshifting tricksters and back-stabbing politicians. And Rain demands more than the trappings of marriage. She wants a match with heart.

Night doesn't have the luxury of time to change his mate's mind. War looms closer and the Lunar Court is caught in the middle. Out of options, the fae duke sees only one choice.

Kidnap his bride.


Review:
Okay, I just finished crying ugly in the middle of this book. I blame the author for that. I mean, I was not expecting any sort of attachment to any of the characters be they the main leads or the secondary characters, but I did.

This is the first book of the Fae Trickster series. I don't know how big of a series this plans to be but I am truly excited to see the direction this series goes because I am truly invested in the storyline, characters, and world-building. This book has hooked me since the first page and I know I need to find the author either on Instagram or Tik Tok so I may follow her on her journey for the progression of this series.

The romance between Night and Rain is slow and realistic. Night breaks the mold of the alpha male and doesn't feel the need to force her to stay by his side. No, he is the complete opposite- he is sweet and always concerned for Rain's happiness rather than his own. When he kidnaps her, he does not force himself on her, but only explains that he feels she is his mate. Rain, who has lived her life with no real attachments to any human or fae, is not quite sure what to feel about him. She knows that she feels the bond between them, but Rain wants what Night cannot give her - love. It is the most important thing to her. She doesn't want to have some marriage of convenience. Things do change but it is slow and doesn't feel forced and that is the type of romance I love - a slow-burn romance that is sweet and savory.

The secondary characters - the women of the tavern are great secondary characters that you also become invested in. Despite the hardships of their own lives, they love Rain and seem to treat her like family. They are genuine in their feelings and you can feel that through the pages.

Also, let us not forgot Bernard, Rain's familiar. He is funny and yet he is always concerned when it comes to the importance of Rain's feelings. It does not matter that they are bonded by the soul, but he does love her in his own way. But he is the best character sidekick. He made the scenes with him hilarious. I loved the bits of sarcasm that dripped from his words and the desire to kill anyone who would harm Rain.

This is a fantasy romance. It is beautiful. It has world-building that is lush and well-structured. You do get glimpses of other parts of the world as well as other characters. We know that there are other realms and each one is held by either King or Queen. I do hope we get more of the history between the two realms and their rulers a bit more.

I love this story. I am glad I picked it up on a whim. I was not expecting to do so because I have been burned by a lot of fae romances but this one put that love right back on the map for me. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.


Genre:
Fantasy, Romance, the Fae, Adult, Magical Realism, Demons, Witches, High Fantasy, Fated Mates, Slow Burn, Fated Mates


Stars:

5 out of 5

[ 435 ]

[katara]

The Sea Witch: A Little Mermaid Retelling (For the Love of the Villain, #1) by Rebecca F. Kenney

Sypnosis
When Averil saves a young man from a shipwreck, she thinks she feels the Soul Echo--the sign that the young human male is her one true mate. And the malevolent Sea Witch is all too happy to offer a deal that could make all her dreams come true. He wants her to win the prince's heart--even coaches her in the art of seduction. But what is the real price of the Sea Witch's help? Why is he more brutally beautiful--and charming--than Averil expected?

[TW/CW: age gap between fantasy characters, violence, abuse, torture, murder, sexual threat, self-harm, explicit intimacy/spicy scenes, inexperienced/virgin female main character]


Review:
This version is not your sweet little retelling of a Disney classic. No, this version is dark and spicy with a male sea witch and a mermaid named Averil, who believes the prince she has saved is her heart's true mate. The only way for sure she is to know is to head to the surface and be with him and she must bargain with the Sea Witch of the sea in order to do so. With bargains made and Averil finally able to gain legs to be on land and with her prince, Averil finds that she could be wrong in her assessment of the prince and even more that the handsome Sea Witch is causing all sorts of changes in her feelings that make her even more uncertain of her heart.

I don't remember where I caught sight of this book. I can say it was not Book Tok because I had not seen it pop up there and if it had, I must have missed it somewhere lost within the many videos of reviews. I have always enjoyed books where the villain gets the girl. You may find them aplenty within the dark romances, but there are few that stand out. This book held my interest from the first page until the very last. I loved the characters, world-building, and storyline. It may have followed some of the storylines for The Little Mermaid, but it pretty much ends there. There are darker themes and sexual tension felt from the very beginning between Zoltan and Averil.

I love the twists this book brings. It is different and a quick read for anyone looking for something that won't overwhelm you. From what I have seen, this book is the first in a series. I don't know how many books are projected to be in this series, but nevertheless, I am looking forward to seeing how each one is.

Genre:
Dark, Retellings, Fantasy, Romance, Mermaids, Adult, Monsters, Fairytales, Spicy Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Age Gap, Witches, Smut, Erotica


Stars:

4.7 out of 5