Black Magic Sanction, by Kim Harrison | Book Review

Hello friends! I’m back with another book review! Today’s book review will be of

Black Magic Sanction, by Kim Harrison.

Black Magic Sanction is the 8th book in The Hollows series.

TW: Kidnapping mention, Attempted Murder, Death scene, Blood, Murder, Death of a parent mention, Death of a parent, sex scene.

Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter—and lived to tell the tale. But she’s never faced off against her own kind . . . until now.

Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment—at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief.

It takes a witch to catch a witch, but survival bears a heavy price.

Well, it’s safe to say that Black Magic Sanction pulled at my heart strings. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry, and …. there were many feelings I experienced while reading this 8th Hollows installation.

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian | Book Review #380

Trigger Warning: Whippings, Blood, Murder, Massacres, Torture, Emotional Abuse, Human Experimentation Mention, Genocide Mention

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia’s family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess–a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.

For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She’s endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn’t always won on the battlefield.

For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

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I didn’t know what to specifically think of Ash Princess going into reading it. That didn’t stop me from thinking that Ash Princess would be a stereotypical book though.

A Darker Shade of Magic, by V.E. Schwab | Book Review #268

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.

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I was nervous about reading A Darker Shade of Magic since I’ve read another book by Schwab and didn’t really like it.

Silver Borne, by Patricia Briggs | Book Review #187

Silver Borne is the fifth (5th) book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. This review may contain spoilers.

World After by Susan Ee | Book Review #50

‘When a group of people capture Penryn’s sister Paige, thinking she’s a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the hearts of the angels’ secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can’t rejoin the angels, can’t take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings of helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?’

World After is a lot of things. For instance, World After is thrilling. There are parts in this sequel that made me cringe, had me in awe, had me laughing. There are so many emotions following this novel.

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout | Book Review #29

‘Being connected to Daemon Black sucks….

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch | Book Review #28

‘A heart broken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making. 

Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton | Book Review #25

‘Megan doesn’t speak. She hasn’t spoken in months. 

Pushing away the people she cares about is just a small price to pay. Because there are things locked inside Megan’s head – things that are screaming to be heard – that she cannot, must not, let out.

Then Jasmine starts school: bubbly, beautiful, talkative Jasmine. And for reasons Megan can’t quite understand, life starts to look a bit brighter. 

Megan would love to speak again, and it seems like Jasmine might be the answer. But if she finds her voice, will she lose everything else?’

**Please Note: There are events in this novel that result in a character’s death, and another character who has moderate to severe Paranoia.**

Unspeakable is a captivating novel. When we start reading, we’re introduced to the main character, Megan. We don’t know why, but Megan is a mute. She doesn’t talk. She hasn’t talked since a fatal accident her best friend was in.

While reading Unspeakable I was very intrigued. There is so much mystery around as to what actually happened. And Megan is teased daily by her fellow classmates. Both in and out of school. This just meant that this was even more of a cause to stay quiet.

Megan suffers from so much guilt. While first reading Unspeakable, I had actually thought that Megan was suffering from survivors guilt, because thats what Megan’s symptoms came across as. Megan believes its her fault that her best-friend died. When a new girl comes to town though, things turn around for Megan. In ways that I didn’t really imagine.

I had predicted the plot twist, but let me say that I did not predict the plot twist that came with the plot twist. That sentence might be confusing, but that’s how it was!

I really like Unspeakable. The mystery is great, and there are LGBTQIA Characters!!!

If you’re interested in reading this novel, you can find Unspeakable on GoodReads.

Thanks for reading! Until next time,
Adele.

Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot | Book Review #22

*****This novel contains a Car Accident that results in death.*****

‘When Julia Buchanan enrolls at St. Anne’s at the beginning of junior year, Charlotte Ryder already knows all about the former senator’s daughter. Most people do… or they think they do.

The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes | Book Review #19

‘Ever since the night of the incident with Luke Willis  the preacher’s son, sophomore Hallelujah Calhoun has been silent. When the rumours swirled around school, she was silent. When he parents grounded her, she was silent. When her friends abandoned her … silent.