December was a busy month. We traveled to Washington, D.C. for Christmas break with the kids. Nearly two weeks off work, including many days staying with my in-laws led to finishing more books than I anticipated.
- “The Lotus Empire” by Tasha Suri (The Burning Kingdoms #3) ★★★★½
- Sapphic fantasy romance with an epic climax. A rare treat, this trilogy got better with every book.
- “Blood Mercy” by Vela Roth (Blood Grace #1) ★★½
- This was a light snack. Ridiculous, cliched, fated mate vampire fun. Wouldn’t go back and re-read, but I didn’t hate it.
- “The Ever King” by L.J. Andrews ★★★
- Sexy fae pirates. Not good, exactly, but fun. I tore through it. One-dimensional characters. The FMC gave me a toothache, like too much sugar candy.
- “The Priory of the Orange Tree” by Samantha Shannon ★★★★
- I can see why some people find this dense. It is. Densely packed with beautiful characters, beautiful world, beautiful writing. Knocking off a star for Niclays. His chapters are unreadable.
- “The City of Brass” by S.A. Chakraborty (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) ★★★★
- Ultimate fantasy escapism. This book whisked me away and never quite released me. Clever. Heartfelt. Intriguing. Devoured it and will re-read, despite the lack of any spice. The characters and the story are too good.