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  • Thorns & Fire Cover Reveal

    Thorns & Fire Cover Reveal

    Click to enlarge

    Oh my goodness look at this absolutely STUNNING cover for Thorns & Fire! I was lucky enough to be chosen as part of the cover reveal for Helen Scheuerer’s new book Thorns & Fire!

    Cover art : @ravenpagesdesign

    I absolutely adored The Legends of Thezmarr series and The Ashes of Thezmarr has not disappointed so far as a spin of series!

    A golden thread joined them, a bond that went deeper than love – and it had nearly destroyed them.

    Wren Embervale and Torj Elderbrock share a dark and bloody history. On the brink of another war, and overwhelmed by the force of their feelings for one another, Torj discovers there is far more to their bond than mere passion. The legendary warsword is determined to protect Wren at all costs, even if it means lying to her… Even if it means losing her forever.

    Meanwhile, Wren is struggling to find her place in the world both as an advanced student of alchemy at the ancient academy of Drevenor, and as one of the heirs to a lost kingdom. With the midrealms once again facing destruction, Wren must decide: loyalty or liberation? Legacy or love?
    As new political players emerge, Wren discovers that her storm magic is more powerful than she ever imagined and that it could tear the kingdoms apart. Will she and Torj find their way back to each other, or will the ancient magic that binds them become their undoing?

    From the Sunday Times bestselling author, Thorns & Fire by Helen Scheuerer is the second book in The Ashes of Thezmarr trilogy following on from Iron & Embers. Perfect for romantasy fans, this spellbinding sequel delivers heart-wrenching choices, a found family to root for, and a love that defies the odds.

    Thorns & Fire (The Ashes of Thezmarr , Book 2)
    Page Count: 480
    Author: Helen Scheuerer
    Publishers: Alchemy (US/CA), Tor Bramble (UK), Pan Macmillan (ANZ)
    Release Date: 29th July 2025 (USA, CA, ANZ), July 31st (UK)
    Genre: Epic fantasy romance
    Formats: ebook, paperback, hardcover and audio
    Audience: Suitable for adults (18+)

  • Iron & Embers

    Iron & Embers

    Title : Iron & Embers

    Author : Helen Scheuerer

    Series : The Ashes of Thezmarr

    Published : January 2025

    Genres : Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Adult Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers

    Amazon | Waterstones

    Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

    With the cover reveal of Thorns & Fire coming tomorrow, this felt like the perfect time to post my review of Iron & Embers!

    I’m honestly speechless. This book had me smiling, blushing, crying, screaming, all the things. I actually had to sit in silence for a bit and really come to terms with the ending.

    I’d been praying for a spin off series about Wren and Torj and this book DELIVERED. The yearning, the stolen sweet moments, the fear, the inner battles, everything was chefs kiss.

    Iron & Embers is set 5 years after the events of The Legends of Thezmarr.
    We follow Wren and Torj and how they cope with their individual grief and trauma after the war, as well as Wren’s gruelling journey to becoming a master alchemist.

    During the war a bond is accidentally set in place linking Wren and Torj. We get an insight into Torj’s inner turmoil over this new connection and what it means for him and his fate. It was honestly really interesting to get a bit more in depth detail about the dangers of magic in this world (beyond it being used as a weapon), and what can happen when things go wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed Torj’s POV chapters and following his research into the curse that bonded him to Wren 5 years ago.

    On the flip side we delve deeper into Wrens grief and how she has been using revenge and self isolation as a coping mechanism after her immense losses during the war. She’s built an impenetrable fortress around her heart to protect herself, refusing to allow anyone in.. until a certain warsword starts chipping away at her defences.

    At first there’s a strong feeling of resentment between the two. They struggle to get past how each of their individual actions has affected the other and interfered with their plans on numerous occasions. It’s a very slow burn to forgiveness and acceptance and eventually romance, but the wait is so worth it! I love their love, and watching them rebuild their bond and slowly start opening up to each other was so beautiful and had my heart aching for the two of them.

    I really LOVED the alchemy academy – Drevenor. The professors and students are ruthless and don’t pull any punches. There’s a series of lethal tests that build up to a deadly gauntlet that will make or break the students. I loved how this book was focused more on a battle of brains rather than brawn and there were so many nice details about the intricacies of alchemy and we really get to see just how knowledgeable and deadly Wren truly is. It was a nice change of pace to have such dangerously intelligent characters take the spotlight this time around.

    I’m also a huge fan of the friends Wren makes along the way. Dessa is such a bubbly sweetheart who was the perfect sunshine to Wren’s grumpy. Zavier was a fantastic rival-friend as well and I’m so excited to see more of him, he might be one of my favourite characters that was introduced in this book!

  • The Imminent Return of History

    The Imminent Return of History

    Title : The Imminent Return of History

    Author : Catalina Matei

    Series : Vials of Fate #2

    Release Date : 15th April 2025

    Genres : Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Adult Fantasy

    Amazon

    Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️

    This was the perfect follow up to book 1 and I loved it just as much, if not more!

    There was so much going on, from Tia coming to terms with the events of the trials and getting to grips with her new found powers, so many secrets being revealed, a war looming just around the corner, Tia and Zad’s bond growing stronger, and even more of the dragons!

    I don’t want to go into too much detail and risk spoilers but if you liked the first book, you’ll absolutely love this one.
    And if you’re on the fence about the series, I would definitely recommend giving it a try, its so worth it!

    The world building is fantastic throughout both books so far, the magic system is very unique and the romance and spice is chefs kiss.

    The side characters are all fantastic as well and each have their own clear personalies and purposes. I absolutely adore Samthi and honestly I’d LOVE a spin off book that focuses on him, his story has such great potential and I’d love the chance to really explore his character in more depth (I’m sure we’ll be getting more of him in book 3 though, much to my excitement!)

    Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read the eARC, I’m so grateful to have found this series!

  • The Fellowship of Bakers and Magic

    The Fellowship of Bakers and Magic

    Title : A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic

    Author : J. Penner

    Series : Adenashire

    Date Published : Nov 2023

    Genres : Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Cozy Fantasy

    Amazon | Waterstones

    Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


    I absolutely adored this book! I finished it in less than a day before even realising it. It was such a cozy, funny and sweet story and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.

    Arleta is a human that loves to bake, but due to having no magic the people of Adenashire don’t appreciate her culinary skills as much as they should. Those without magic are generally discriminated against and treated as lesser than those who do have magic.
    One day, she receives an invite to a prestigious Elven baking competition. There’s no rule against humans entering, but she knows that participating whilst being magicless is likely to work against her and she’ll have to work twice as hard to prove herself compared to anyone else in the competition.

    This was such a lovely story of self-discovery, beating the odds, the sweetest romance, found family and wonderful friendships.

    The writing was so bubbly and easy to read and it was such a joy to read something that was more lighthearted and the stakes were high but not totally world ending!
    Arleta was such a sweet and loveable character, she expresses a lot of self-doubt, but thanks to the help of her friends and family she begins to believe in herself and her baking abilities and it was wonderful to see her surrounded by people that would constantly uplift her and validate her feelings.

    Doli and Jez were such lovely characters and they had such life and vibrancy to them. They’re a real sunshine/grumpy combo, but I really think it worked well and their interactions with each other and other people were so fun to read!

    The romance was very soft and flowery and I couldn’t stop smiling any time Theo and Arleta would talk. Theo believes in Arleta and supports her endlessly, he’s constantly encouraging her and reassuring her of her skill and pushing her the never give up and keep chasing her dreams. He respects her boundaries and Arleta often refers to him as a complete gentleman and its so true!

    My only complaint is I wish there was more magic! Arleta is the only one in the competition that bakes without magic, but we never really see any of the other contestants use their magic on their creations. I really would have loved to see the magic element be incorprated with the baking, I think that could have been so much fun!

  • The Imminent Trials of Quietus

    The Imminent Trials of Quietus

    Title : The Imminent Trials of Quietus

    Author : Catalina Matei

    Series : Vials of Fate #1

    Date Published : Nov 2024

    Genres : Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Adult Fantasy

    Amazon

    Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️

    What more can I say than WOW! I adored this book and I think Zad and Tia are my new obsession, I’m so excited to see where this trilogy takes us. This was a beautifully written story of love, found family, loss and acceptance and I loved every second of it.

    Tia is doomed by the gods to be hunted by a dragon and face a set of perilous trials that no-one has ever survived before. Throughout the book there’s a real sense of mourning for the life she has lived and will never get to live once the trials are over and it’s so heartbreakingly beautiful to witness the journey she goes on as she faces her impending doom.

    The FMC Tiadola is an absolute breath of fresh air! She’s a 300-year-old immortal (who I believe appears to be physically in her 30s). She’s such a strong and wonderfully crafted character, and she feels so gritty and real in her actions. Her reactions to situations and conflicts make sense and didn’t leave me feeling frustrated, she keeps a cool head and you can really feel her thinking things through. She’s understandably sad but she’s not bitter about the hand she’s been dealt in life, and she’s so fiercely protective and selfless when it comes to those she cares about.

    The MMC Zadrohn was an AMAZING character as well. Whilst he may not always agree with Tia’s decisions, he’s continuously supportive, respectful and understanding at every turn and I love him for it. He encourages her to keep being true to herself and doing what she believes is right and reminds her that he will be there to follow her no matter what.

    Their relationship was such a joy to watch grow and evolve over time and I love that they actually communicated and talked things through with one another. They start building up from friendship to a slow burning romance and every moment of it was perfection and left me wanting more (in a good way)!

    Overall I think if you’re a lover of dragons, trials, strong characters and all things romantasy, this is definitely the book for you!