The Fallen Kingdoms #2 - Book Review

Title: Reign of Darkness

The Fallen Kingdoms, book 2

Author: KB Benson

Release Date: January 16th, 2024

Pages : 419

Book Description:

Darkness is a vicious evil no mortal can escape. But I’m no stranger to darkness, and I never intend to be free.

With new, unfathomable power, Ari won’t rest until she gets her revenge. But she is blinded by her vengeance, and when Caelum arrives in Eida, she never imagined he’d take it for his own.

Blood fills the streets. Death lingers in the air. Caelum has come to steal Ari’s power and build an army filled with monsters and magic. An army he has every intention of unleashing on the human world.

Unless she stops him.

Fiercely loyal to the realm he calls home, Graeden will do whatever it takes to protect it. But as an insurrection forms against the Starfallen’s new queen, Graeden finds his loyalty is no longer fixed firmly on the realm or the crown.

Unable to douse the fire Ari stirs within him, Graeden finds it isn’t enough to protect her. He wants her. All of her. The one person in the entire realm he can’t have.

As Caelum pushes the realm toward its destruction, there is only one way for Ari and Graeden to keep those they love safe, and they must both decide what they’re willing to risk … and who they’re willing to kill.

Reign of Darkness is the second book in KB Benson’s The Fallen Kingdoms series, an upper YA high fantasy. If you like slow-burn romance, action-packed battles, dragons and monsters, and unique magic systems, then you’ll love this fast-paced, page-turning series. Grab your copy and reenter Eida!

Review:

"𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣’𝙨 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨, 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙀𝙞𝙙𝙖. 𝙉𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧"

I love the series, this book has no exception. This book is terribly amusing and action packed page turner, a few chapters in and I was hooked. The rest of the book just kept getting better and more convincing. I was quickly drawn to our main lead, Queen of Eida, and was taken by how much I actually wanted for her to do well. I have to say this, the world building inside is intricate and detailed. It surely takes the readers on a journey through a world where magic is real and monsters are real. 

Very impressive storytelling, and her writing is meticulous also give marvelous descriptions of settings. The supporting characters are also less memorable and less likable. But I enjoyed the story on the whole. The war scenes were exciting and well told Almost every battle scene in arena keep me in anticipation without being confusing or becoming too repetitive. Caelum, I didn't expect his entry at all. 

𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝. 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙙𝙤, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙜𝙤.

This is more than just a story of swords and monsters. Besides that, there's all you could want from a book like this, including battles, divided loyalties, honour, betrayal, love and power. I love Graeden, he's so much more than he shows. Looking forward to part three.

This book is worth a shot. Waiting for the third book! Big thumbs up on this one and, if you're interested in Fantasy, Dragons, Phoenix and Magic elements.

Rating :  10/10 

Purchase Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Reign-Darkness-Fantasy-Fallen-Kingdoms-ebook/dp/B0BSG247BN/

Fallen Kingdoms #1 - Book Review

Book Title : Well Of Eida

The Fallen Kingdoms #1

Author : K. B. Benson

Pages : 413

Book Description:

Two years have passed since Ari was taken as a prisoner to the troll realm. Two years of blood staining her hands, killing as the troll king’s mercenary. In Eida, it’s kill or be killed, and Ari will do anything to survive. 

But survival does not come easy in Eida, especially for a young woman with fire in her blood.

When Ari's sold to one of Eida’s most notorious training masters, her survival comes with a price: unleash the monster she’s buried inside. A very real and very dangerous creature no opponent can defeat.

Ari expects to kill. She expects to survive. But she doesn’t expect the growing feelings she has for the man who has claimed her as his. Together, Ari and her master will cut down every opponent in the arena seeking a wish from their king. 

Until a man from her past challenges her within those walls, and everything Ari has fought for crumbles. All for a man she once loved. But if she is to save her own life, she must take his. 

After all, everyone dies in Eida.

Review:

"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙪𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡. 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙. 𝙄𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧"

The book is about a girl who is being sacrificed by someone she trusts, and then captured and learned to live as one of the prisoners in the troll realm. Later on Ari was captured by some trolls in Arautteve. They sold her to a master whose monster is stronger than anyone's and therefore struggling with conflicting loyalties she unleashes her monster with his help. Her feelings grew stronger day by day and when she thought she could do anything along with him on her side, she found someone from her hometown here. Neither a part of their new world, but neither being able to rejoin the old world. Everything changes for the three of them. 

Each battle scene is absorbing. The Author is very subtle about slowly building friendships. Brilliant storytelling, the descriptions of battle are horrendously evocative, and the characters are very well-fleshed and complete, especially Ari, whose voice tells this story. I very much look forward to continuing on to read the other books in the series, and like the rest of this author's books. I enjoyed Ari's relationship with her master more. 

The World inside this book is insane it won't let you do anything. I started losing sleep because of it - I simply couldn't put it away, and the same was true until I was done with the second book. The book does have the shallow side characterizations as I wanted to know more about them. 

Rating : 

10/10 No Doubt. 

𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞

𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞

Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz

Pages: 390

Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself.

But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond that will teach them the most important truths of their lives, and help define the people they want to be. But there are big hurdles in their way, and only by believing in each other―and the power of their friendship―can Ari and Dante emerge stronger on the other side.

Review:

"𝘼𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙? 𝙊𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚?"

𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚'𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙩.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚 𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙖?"

Oh boy!! Lookout I'm coming for you✨❤️

"𝙎𝙬𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝘼𝙧𝙞. 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩."

I lost myself in this book more than any other book I read this year. It is unlike anything I've ever read before. At first, I thought it was going to be a long, slow read, but as I gradually became more and more engrossed in Ari and Dante's story the pages started to fly by much more quickly than I’d expected. I’ll probably go back and read it again before too long.

Definitely not gonna waste my time, I already ordered the second book in the series, most probably I'll receive it today, no wonder that this book is everyone's favorite. 

"I didn't care because what mattered was that Dante's voice felt real. And I felt real. Until Dante, being with other people was the hardest thing in the world for me. But Dante made talking and living and feeling seem like all those things were perfectly natural. Not in my world, they weren't.”

Very worthy of the hype. For Dante and Ari ❤

Rating : 10/10

Vacancy By Linda Kage

Book Title : Vacancy 

Author : Linda Kage

Page count: 471 

Book Description:

How do you rent a room from a ghost without even knowing it?

This year was supposed to be different because Oaklynn had a plan.

Stop partying.

Stay away from guys.

Focus on classes.

Graduate!

All she needed to do was find a place to stay near campus, and she’d be set. But when she finds the perfect room to rent, it brings the mysterious Damien into her life.

Her friend tries to warn her that he’s dangerous. He has secrets and darkness in his eyes. But the only danger Oaklynn can tell that he poses is to her attention. He’s all she can think about. Except, he’s hiding something, and when the truth comes out that her new roommate was murdered…a decade ago…nothing will ever be the same again.

So yeah, this year will definitely be different.

Review: 

" 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.” 

What did I read just now??? This book is mind blowing! I read it in one sitting. This book has dual POV focuses on separate aspects of both the main lead, Damien and Oaklynn. I fell in love almost immediately with Oaklynn's energy spirit. There are some secondary characters who also have distinct personalities, and I hope to know more about Damien's friends. Author gave equal importance to secondary characters as well when it comes to character development. I really liked Thalia at the beginning, I thought I would get to know more about her too. But the twist also spiced up the novel. 

" 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩, 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄’𝙢 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨.” 

The writing is too good which makes this book unputdownable and also occasionally funny and entertaining. The tension between Damien and Oaklynn is good to read, and I still can't get over them. There's a lot of romance and unexpected events so basically it never gets boring or cliche. Also there's some bit of humor too. 

"𝑻𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂’𝒔 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒅. “𝑯𝒊…𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆. “𝑰 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖"

I laughed so hard and I cried for a couple moments but never a dull moment. It had everything I hoped for and more. I never expected myself to be so invested in this book, and definitely will be waiting for the next book in this series. 

Rating: 10/10

The Red Herring

The Red Herring - Book Review

Title : The Red Herring

Author : Raghu Sarma

Pages : 212

The story starts with the murder of Devan Singhal. Later upon investigation, both his mother and father were found to be murdered. Investigations were carried out by DCP Malik and his crew. 

DCP Malik and his team try to uncover the truth behind this murder, but every answer reveals a new set of questions. And as secrets and lies are exposed within the close-knit people, the mystery becomes deeper, precisely speaking more darker and more complex, wasn't expecting this kind of story in the start. 

The  investigation team in this novel were very engaging, that made this book as un-put-downable. It's like One of those murder mysteries that you're not quite sure about but ends up growing on you very much by the end. 

There are a multitude of characters here to keep track of. The book is rich in detail, sometimes a little bit too much. The first thing that struck me about this book was the characters. The storyline is rich, complex, creative, and flows briskly with many interesting leads as the case progresses.

The story entirely focused on the investigations of the murderer. There are a number of well placed twists and turns, creating difficult questions and making it even more difficult to find the real murderer. The case gets more complex and even harder to solve as it progresses. I enjoyed the entire storyline with its mixed characters. 

I enjoyed the interactions between the officers and their characters were well-rounded . There are characters that are suspicious all the way through, and the reveal, whilst not hugely surprising, is well explained and nicely thought out. 

Rating : 9/10