Book Review: The Emperor of Evening Stars by Laura Thalassa

Title: The Emperor of Evening Stars

Author: Laura Thalassa

Series/Standalone: The Bargainer Series (Book #2.5)

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

Pages: 219

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2017

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"In the beginning, there was darkness. 

Before he met Callie, before he became the Bargainer, there was Desmond Flynn, the bastard son of a scribe. A boy born to a weak mother, cursed with little magic, and destined to marry a slave.

But fate had something else in mind.

Till darkness dies.

From the barren caves of Arestys the palace of Somnia to the streets of earth, this is how Desmond Flynn, a fairy who began with nothing, became the Emperor of Evening Stars."

My Rating: 4/5

I enjoyed this instalment far more than the other ones in the series. I always love a prequel; seeing where a character's traits come from helps understand a side character. I really enjoyed how fast-paced it was but I was hoping for more info about Desmond before the first book in the series had taken place. I will be finishing out the series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: A Strange Hymn by Laura Thalass

Title: A Strange Hymn

Author: Laura Thalassa

Series/Standalone: The Bargainer Series (Book #2)

Genre: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance

Pages: 385

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2017

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

First Line: "Wings."

"She survived the mad king... but the nightmare isn't over.

Siren Callypso Lillis still wears the physical reminders of her time as Karnon's captive, even after reuniting with soulmate Desmond Flynn, the King of Night. Not only that, but mounting evidence suggests the Thief of Souls, the being responsible for the disappearance of countless fae warriors, is still out there.

Invited to an annual Solstice celebration, Callie and Des journey to the Kingdom of Flora to continue their investigation. But under the bright lights and striking blooms of the realm, new complications arise, one that no amount of bargaining can undo. Soldiers begin to go missing from the gathering, and some of the fae begin to suspect Des is the man behind it all. To Callie, one thing is no one is who they appear to be. Not even her soulmate.

Fairies play dangerous games. Some want love, some want vengeance, some want flesh, and some want horrors too unspeakable to name. Something is stirring in the Land of All that Grows, and if Callie isn't careful, it will claim everything she loves- and her along with it. "

My Rating: 3.5/5

I expected something else out of a second book. Once again the plot was fine, but it seemed to move too fast by the end. It started to pick up and just as it did, it was over. The plot twists were good, not great, but good. I will be reading the next book and am excited about it because it's a prequel. I have enjoyed the series, but it hasn't been mind-blowing, as long as the novella goes well I will finish the series. I would recommend it to people who haven't read ACOTAR. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny 

Book Review: Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa

Title: Rhapsodic

Author: Laura Thalassa

Series/Standalone: The Bargainer (Book #1)

Genre: New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 326

Publisher: Lavabrook Publishing Group

Year Published: 2016

Format: Ebook (Own a Physical Copy)

"Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past. For the last seven years she’s been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she’s received. Only death or repayment will fulfill the obligations. Only then will the beads disappear.

Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want... at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects.

But for one of his clients, he’s never asked for repayment. Not until now. When Callie finds the fae king of the night in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s just a chaste kiss—a single bead’s worth—and a promise for more.

For the Bargainer, it’s more than just a matter of rekindling an old romance. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one. Only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to their breast. And then there are the whispers among the slaves, whispers of an evil that’s been awoken.

If the Bargainer has any hope to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. Only, his foe has a taste for exotic creatures, and Callie just happens to be one."

My Rating: 3.75/5

I didn't anticipate this book being an urban fantasy when I picked it up so after adapting my expectations about the plot a bit, I really enjoyed it. The characters had clear chemistry and the romance was a slow burn in my mind, but I know that my expectations of that and others are not the same. The ending wrapped up way too fast in my opinion, it felt rushed and didn't read the same as the rest of the book, I will be continuing the series, but I hope that in the following books, the pacing of the plot is laid out a little better. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny