{Book Review} GRAVEBRIAR by Casey L. Bond

  

Gravebriar

Standalone

Casey L. Bond

Released: March 19, 2021

Indy Pub

Blurb:

Sometimes witches hunt their own…

Someone knows my secret and they’re wielding it as the weapon of my execution. I stand accused of poisoning my Gravebriar coven mate. To my fatal regret, I can’t prove my innocence without revealing the truth I’ve long kept hidden: while every other Gravebriar witch are green witches and healers, my magic lies in poisons.

There is one witch who believes me – the same boy who was sent to kill me with instructions to pluck the briars that sprouted from my grave – the only cure for a Gravebriar witch. Forge Silverthorn will be my undoing… or my salvation.

He claims there is a malicious plot vining through the witch town of Cauldron that threatens to tighten around my throat in a deadly noose. Promising I can escape by seeking the help of a banished witch who hides our kind in plain sight, he leads me to a dark circus full of witches.

The ringmaster will only help us if we agree to join his circus of uncanny tricks and diabolical feats for two nights only, using our magic to thrill his patrons. In exchange for our participation under the big top, he’ll divulge the information I need to save my coven mate and clear my name.

But when dark secrets emerge from the shadows of this promised sanctuary, I’m forced to decide if I can truly trust anyone, especially Forge… my would-be executioner, my coven’s sworn enemy, and my could-be love.

My Review:

I'd been meaning to read this one since it first came out and now I wish I'd read it sooner!

I loved everything about this book. The town of Cauldron was fascinating, an entire city of witches. It was really interesting reading about the different types of witches in this world and the amazing things they could do. Everything was so vividly described so as to give the reader a perfect visual. I felt like I was right there in the story.

Castor was a character I could really connect with and I loved her chemistry with Forge. Anyone that likes enemies-to-lovers will really love watching them together. Their heat steams right off the page. 

I also really liked the carnival Castor and Forge end up at and the twist that is uncovered there. 

Overall, I couldn't stop reading this book. I literally was sneaking sections of it while I was at work because I had to see what was going to happen next. I would love to see something more in this world because I really hated leaving it when the book was finished. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 1 February 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy Monday Bookdragons! First off, can you believe it's February already?! I took a week off from blogging last week because Saturday was moving day and I had to finish packing. Luckily I was able to get some reading time in and even managed to (finally) do the final proofread for my upcoming release Monsters & Mist (Out 3.19.2021)

What I Read Last Week: 

Serpent's Kiss by Melissa de la Cruz

Thanks to Amazon's Kindle Challenge in January I've been reading more ebooks which was perfect for continuing my binge of the Witches of East End novel. I'm really loving the books and enjoyed seeing Ingrid become less prim and proper in Serpent's Kiss. Freya is still my favorite character though. 

Currently Reading:

Winds of Salem by Melissa de la Cruz

I started the third and final book of the Witches of East End series on Friday but with moving over the weekend I haven't had much time to really dig into it. After the ending of Serpent's Kiss I'm excited to see how everything is going to wrap up. 

Next Read

Of The Blood by Cameo Renae

I have the first book in the spin-off series from Witches of East End but I'm going to take a break after I finish Winds of Salem and switch over to... vampires. I've been wanting to read Of The Blood since I first saw it on bookstagram and got myself a signed copy for Christmas and once I figure out which box it went into I'm going to give it a try. 

*** 

What is your first read of February? How many books did you read in January?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 18 January 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy Monday Bookdragons! I hope you had a somewhat relaxing weekend. 

What I Read Last Week: 

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

I'm glad I gave this book a chance. Like I mentioned last week it is a lot different from the Lifetime tv show that was on a few years ago - from character descriptions to magic vs. magic ban to characters having different names... and no Aunt Wendy 😭 - but I really enjoyed the book once I got in my mind that show was its own separate entity. It's a quick read and it kept my interest the whole way through.

Currently Reading:

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

I devoured this series when I was younger. I couldn't read the books fast enough. But I've tried rereading it twice now and I'm just not feeling it. I mean it's like I know exactly what's going to happen and I can't focus on the book. Maybe it's a read-once-love-it-but-don't-reread kind of book for me. It happens sometimes. 

Next Read

Serpent's Kiss by Melissa de la Cruz

Now that I've gotten through the first book I'm eager to keep reading about the Beauchamps so I just put the second and third book on my kindle.

*** 

How do you feel about rereading a book? Can you enjoy a book once you know how it's going to end? Or are some books just better reading one time only?

I Can't Wait For... The Nature of Witches

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.

This one sounds really interesting and I'm looking forward to reading it when it releases this summer...

The Nature of Witches

Standalone
by Rachel Griffin
YA, Paranormal, Fantasy
eBook, Hardcover, 362 pages
June 1, 2021 by Sourcebooks Fire

Blurb:

Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It's wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she's the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she's terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves...before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

Add to Goodreads

***

Will You Be Checking This Book Out? 

I Can’t Wait For... This Coven Won’t Break

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.

The first book in this series was my first pick for the YA BOTM sub box and it became an instant favorite. I can’t wait for the second book to arrive this summer...

This Coven Won’t Break

(These Witches Don’t Burn #2)

by Isabel Sterling

LGBT, Urban Fantasy

eBook, Hardcover, 304 Pages

June 2, 2020 by Razorbill

Blurb

In this gripping, romantic sequel to These Witches Don't Burn, Hannah must work alongside her new girlfriend to take down the Hunters desperate to steal her magic.

Hannah Walsh just wants a normal life. It's her senior year, so she should be focusing on classes, hanging out with her best friend, and flirting with her new girlfriend, Morgan. But it turns out surviving a murderous Witch Hunter doesn't exactly qualify as a summer vacation, and now the rest of the Hunters seem more intent on destroying her magic than ever.

When Hannah learns the Hunters have gone nationwide, armed with a serum capable of taking out entire covens at once, she's desperate to help. Now, with witches across the country losing the most important thing they have—their power—Hannah could be their best shot at finally defeating the Hunters. After all, she's one of the only witches to escape a Hunter with her magic intact.

Or so everyone believes. Because as good as she is at faking it, doing even the smallest bit of magic leaves her in agony. The only person who can bring her comfort, who can make her power flourish, is Morgan. But Morgan's magic is on the line, too, and if Hannah can't figure out how to save her—and the rest of the Witches—she'll lose everything she's ever known. And as the Hunters get dangerously close to their final target, will all the Witches in Salem be enough to stop an enemy determined to destroy magic for good?

###

What do you think? Will you be checking this one out? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 12 August 2019

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

What I Read Last Week:

I'd been waiting to read this one all summer! It was such an addictive, sexy, hilarious read that I couldn't put it down! I'm going to binge the rest of the series as soon as possible. 

This was a good solid read by an author new to me. I liked the premise and how fast paced it was. It wasn't perfect but I'd definitely read the other two books in the trilogy!

I wanted to read this book since I finished Warcross but I was afraid it wouldn't be as good as the first book. It wasn't what I expected but I loved it in equal measure to Warcross and I'm satisfied with the ending of the duology! I'm glad I gave these books a chance.

What I Am Reading Now:

The movie adaptation of this book came up in my Netflix queue last week and I loved it so naturally I wanted to read the book. A friend of mine once told me you need to go into each as if they are not meant to be the same and then you'll enjoy them without comparing so that's how I went into the book. I'm about 1/3 of the way in and completely hooked on the story. The movie version is different, yes, but they're both great. 

Up Next:
Next up for me is...

I've been really into thriller and horror novels this summer and this one looks like a quick, eerie read. 

What are you reading this week?

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #127

Over the weekend I started my third reread of the Sweep Series by Cate Tiernan. I finished Book of Shadows on Sunday, The Coven yesterday, and last night I started book 3...

Blood Witch (Sweep Series, Book 3) by Cate Tiernan

Blurb:

Morgan has found her mother's Wiccan tools, and her relationship with Cal is strong. Everything seems perfect. Except that Cal's half brother, Hunter, is stalking them. Hunter claims to be a Seeker who is investigating Cal for the misuse of magick. Who can she trust?

Thoughts Rereading This For the Third Time:

I still hate Cal as much as I did the previous two times I've read this series and I love that Hunter and Skye are introduced in this book. I just wish Morgan wasn't so brainwashed by everything Cal tells her. I know he was the one who introduced her to Wicca, but surely she should see he's not who she thinks he is...

Book Review: Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan

Book of Shadows (Sweep Series, #1) by Cate Tiernan

Blurb:

Something is happening to me that I don't understand.

I see things, feel things in a new way. I can do things normal people can't do. Powerful things. Magical things. It scares me.

I never chose to learn witchcraft. But I'm starting to wonder if witchcraft is choosing me.

My Review:

This is my 3rd reread of the Sweep Series and I still love Book of Shadows as much as I did the first time I read it. 

It's an easy book to get through, and in a way it's like stepping back into a teenage time of the past since this book was published when I was 8. It's such a contrast between the way Morgan's parents acted about her interest in Wicca then and how uninterested parents would be in 2018. Also in the way people act with Morgan's aunt being a lesbian and how open things are now. 

You have to remember this book is fiction. Yes, while this book/series has a lot of info about Wicca and always serves to renew my Wiccan beliefs, it's still a fiction book and details have been invented by the author. I think some readers forget that. 

Honestly, I think this series is so underrated and I wish more people knew about it. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 of 5 Stars!

{Guest Post & Author Spotlight} Sabrina Ramoth

For my last post of my 3-Year Blogiversary Celebration I'm spotlighting YA Author, SABRINA RAMOTH! So let's dive right in...

Hi all! My name is Sabrina Ramoth, and I am the author of the Bruel Witch Series, which I will be telling you about in just a few minutes, but first I wanted to say thank you Taylor for having me over on her blog.

The Bruel Witch Series is a three (maybe 4) book series that follows the story of Vivienne Davenport as she discovers that she's a witch and is at the very center of a curse that has plagued her family for generations.

In the first book, The Curse of the Bruel Coven, Vivienne discovers that not only is she adopted but she is also a witch and she must learn to control her powers to save her birth mom from a Coven of Witches that wants to see the Curse on Vivi's family come to pass. 

There is really so much more to the story than that but I don't want to give anything away. So I will tell you how I got the idea for this series. As I mention in my answers below, my best friend convinced me to read this book called Twilight, and it ruined my life in all the best ways LOL

See, after reading Twilight, I couldn't get enough of paranormal YA and started binge reading anything else I could find. Then one day while driving my oldest daughter to a birthday party, I got this totally random idea about a man and a woman who were in love but separated by a curse. I remember sitting at a traffic light as I jotted the idea down on a piece of scrap paper I had found on the floor of my car. I didn't immediately start writing it either because up until that day, I had never written a book before so I wasn't even sure it was something I could do but the story kept nagging at me until I eventually got to the point I had to write it. The story has evolved much from the simple idea I jot down on the scrap paper that day, but the core of it is still there in Lizette and Oliver's Story.

Q&A with Sabrina...

1. Who is your favorite character in this book?

My favorite character in this book. Wow that's hard. So hard. That's like picking a favorite among my own kids. And now I sound crazy... LOL But if I HAD to pick just one.... ehhhhh I guess I might have to say Desmond. I just love his character. He's honorable and easy going and he is so easy to write because for some reason while writing him, he just takes over.

2. Which came first, the title or the novel?

Oh the novel for sure. In fact I had several working titles before officially titling the book.

3. What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

There is a fight scene I think in chapter 18 or 19 that I am especially proud of. I think that scene stands out to me because it was the hardest for me to write... What can I say, I am not a fighter LOL In the early drafts there was simply a placeholder note that said *FIGHT SCENE GOES HERE* and every time I came back to that scene in the drafting process I just couldn't write it. When it came time to write my final draft I remember giving it one last try and still it just wasn't working. Nothing I came up with felt right so I scrapped the whole fight scene and found some alternate way of working out the climax of the book that did not include a fight between the two covens. I then submitted the book to my editor for final edits and the book was done. Or so I thought. Then one night while I was doing my final pass and approving the edits my editor sent me, something clicked and I rewrote that entire chapter to include the battle scene that is in the final version of the book. And had to send my editor an apology for giving her more work to do before we could send the book off to publication.

4. What upcoming book release are you most looking forward to?

Hmmm. Well I am exciting about the Rite to Reign Box Set that I am part of. It has been an amazing experience collaborating with other authors and I've been learning a lot about marketing. We are also aiming to hit the USA Today's Best Seller list which is super exciting because should we reach our goal, it will be my first time making that list. I am also excited about, The Curse of the Voodoo Bones, which is the sequel to The Curse of the Bruel Coven. I know people have been waiting a long time for that so I am really looking forward to getting that out to my readers as soon as possible. Plus, it's been a lot of fun writing this story, since Vivi is much more settled into the world of magic.

5. What is your most recent favorite read?

Recent reads. Well this is embarrassing but I haven't gotten much time to read recently since I am behind the wire on deadlines, but I have the new CoHo (Colleen Hoover for those that do not know) on my night stand waiting for me to get sucked in.

6. What are you working on now?

Well as I mentioned above I'm working on The Curse of the Voodoo Bones and Rite to Reign. My contribution to Rite to Reign is in the Bruel World and follows a young Delphine as she rises to power. I am also working on an entirely new series, called the Huntress Saga. I am about 40% through my first draft on the first book, City of Smoke. So as you can see I've got a lot going on.

7. What authors, or books, have influenced you?

Well I guess if you could tale a look at my bookshelf that would be the easiest way to answer that question. I've got lots of Kami Garcia, P.C. Cast, L.J. Smith, Lauren Kate, Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris. But if I had to say what books were the most influence, I would have to say Stephenie Meyer Twilight Saga. I had been a while since I had read any paranormal or witchy books and my best friend convinced me finally after months and months of begging to read this book called Twilight. After reading it my love for all things paranormal were reborn and I couldn't get enough, which eventually lead into my idea for The Bruel Witch Series.

8.What is your favorite part of the writing process?

NOLA research trips? LOL No but really... I love researching for a novel. Especially when it means going somewhere and seeing the world inside my head come alive in some way. Plus I am all about the Beignets so any reason to go to New Orleans is my favorite thing!

For a limited time, you can get The Curse of the Bruel Coven for just $0.99 on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Bruel-Coven-Witch-Book-ebook/dp/B01F3X3J8S

Join Sabrina's mailing list to say up to date on new releases and projects in the works. She also run giveaways from time to time. http://www.sabrinaramoth.com/

Thank you Sabrina for stopping by to help celebrate my 3-year blogiversary! 

Book Review: SEVENTH BORN by Monica Sanz

Seventh Born by Monica Sanz

Blurb:

Abomination. Curse. Murderer. All names hurled at eighteen-year-old Seraphina Dovetail. As the seventh-born daughter to a witch, she’s the cause of her mother losing her powers and, in turn, her life.

Abandoned as a child, Sera dreams of becoming an inspector and finding her family. To do that, she must be referred into the Advanced Studies Program at the Aetherium’s Witchling Academy. Her birth order, quick temper, and tendency to set things on fire, however, have left her an outcast with failing marks…and just what Professor Nikolai Barrington is looking for.

The tall, brooding, yet exceedingly handsome young professor makes her a proposition: become his assistant and he’ll give her the referral she needs. Sera is quickly thrust into a world where witches are being kidnapped, bodies are raised from the dead, and someone is burning seventhborns alive. As Sera and Barrington grow ever closer, she’ll discover that some secrets are best left buried…and fire isn’t the only thing that makes a witch burn.

My Review:

*Note: I jumped into this book blind without reading the blurb after I received a review copy from Netgalley. The opinions found within this review are unbiased.*

Seventh Born kind of reminded me of a watered down mash-up of Harry Potter and K E O'Connor's School of Exorcists series. The book overall could use some extra detail, the world is underdeveloped, the magic system isn't really explained, and the characters are one dimensional. I felt sorry for Sera who is treated awfully for being the dreaded "seventh born" child in her family and the cause of her mother's death but at the same time she constantly complains about the things she's not allowed to do as a seventh born which gets annoying fast. 

I did like that Sera tried to rebel against her status as a seventh born but I disliked her relationship with her teacher. This is a YA novel and it's a little inappropriate.

Overall, this book holds some appeal but I found myself wanting more from the worldbuilding and plot.

My Rating:

🌟🌟

2 of 5 Stars!

Book Mail of the Month: March

It's the last Thursday of March and you know what that means: it's time for Book Mail of the Month. March was a little light on the book mail but I did get one piece of book mail as of this post date. Let's open my mailbox and see what I got...

Week Three (March 18-24)

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw (UK Edition)

(UK Edition on Right)

Week Four (March 25-31)

Anticipated Book Mail:

My Apollycon 2018 Virtual Signing Order

I'm really hoping this order comes by Saturday at the latest because that's moving day for me. Otherwise it might show up early next week and I'll have to come back to get it or have my mail forwarded to my new address. 

Anticipated April Book Mail:

- As She Fades by Abbi Glines

-Whimsify April Box: Heart of a Rebel

- Fairyloot April Box: Whimsical Journeys

- Signed, Personalized copy of Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Did you get any exciting book mail this month? Any new releases you just had to have? Let me know in the comments! 

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #98

This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm 2/3 through a fantastic book that I don't want to put down. If you haven't yet, you should check out...

Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff

Blurb:

Clementine DeVore spent ten years trapped in a cellar, pinned down by willow roots, silenced and forgotten.

Now she’s out and determined to uncover who put her in that cellar and why. 

When Clementine was a child, dangerous and inexplicable things started happening in New South Bend. The townsfolk blamed the fiendish people out in the Willows and burned their homes to the ground. But magic kept Clementine alive, walled up in the cellar for ten years, until a boy named Fisher sets her free. Back in the world, Clementine sets out to discover what happened all those years ago. But the truth gets muddled in her dangerous attraction to Fisher, the politics of New South Bend, and the Hollow, a fickle and terrifying place that seems increasingly temperamental ever since Clementine reemerged.

Why I Chose This Book | What I Think So Far:

I saw this book for the first time on Bookstagram and instantly fell in love with the cover. After that, I forgot about it until my trip to the library last month when I found it among the display of creepy, scary books for Halloween. I grabbed it and put it in my stack without even reading the blurb. It's taken me a while to get to it (I checked out wayyyy too many books last month!) but once I started I was hooked. The book is beautifully written and the story keeps the reader engaged. I only have about 140 pages left, which I intend to read the end of today, and I can't wait to see how it ends and who put/why Clementine was put in the cellar. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Supernatural Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Top Ten Tuesday - Halloween Freebie!

This week's TTT was a freebie prompt for whatever we wanted to do for Halloween and I picked Supernatural Characters. That's right, I'm counting down my top ten favorite non-human characters!

Rhysand

Elena Michaels

Myrnin

(My favorite mad scientist vampire who wears vampire bunny slippers)

The Darkling

The Goblin King

 Lorcan Salvaterre

Daemon Black

Gallowglass de Clermont

Amy Goodnight

(while not technically supernatural, Amy does come from a family of witches and knows how to handle ghosts)

Manon Blackbeak

To be honest, there are so many different supernatural character I could have picked - from vampires and werewolves to high fae and aliens and more, this just scratches the surface of some of my favorite characters - what are some of yours? 

Drop me a link to yours!

As always, happy reading bookdragons and have a bewitching Halloween!

- 💀Taylor