Book Review: Bloodmarked (Legendborn Cycle #2) by Tracy Deonn

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am unwell.

The ending of this book hurt my soul in ways I didn't think it would. In fact, I legit sat there in my living room, trying to get my complete thoughts together so I could do this review, only to sit there, stunned, and go to take a nap because of how good it was (yes, you read that right, I TOOK A NAP BECAUSE OF HOW THE ENDING WENT). I hope Tracy Deonn has a really good day/evening, because OH MY GOD THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD.

So...how shall I start my thoughts? I want to start with the characters, because I think that is the only way I can get them down, because of how good this book was.

Bree: YOU DID THAT. You wanted to save Nick from the clutches of his father, only for you to go on a road trip with William, Sel, and Alice. You tried to help your friends while also trying to save Nick and yourself. BUT THAT ENDING HURTS MY SOUL. Do I know why you did what you did? I know it's because you want to know how to defend yourself with your Rootcraft and being the Scion of Arthur. (I'm trying to hard not to spoil anything, but I want to SO BAD). I really didn't like the way the Order's Regents are putting you in a box and 'hiding' you, as if you were a mistake and not the real Scion, which that P.Oed me off SO MUCH, to Arthur doing what he did just so he could take over you....OHHHH THAT MADE ME SO MAD. SO, SO MAD. I wish you hadn't done what you did at the end, but as I'm thinking about it, you kind of needed to do what you needed to do.

Selwyn: One: I'm not THAT mad at you. Mostly because you tried to stop Bree and Bree kept HA-ing you, and you keep going along with it, but I am mad that you mesmered her to not see your demon half. It was cool that you explained how the bond between you and Nick went and how he felt the same thing you felt in Legendborn. But when you and Nick did your bloodwalk to save her and took her root, and then losing your humanity (which sucks) was very cool to do. I hope in the next book you do better (if I sound like a mother when it comes to Sel, I do, and I'm not sorry about that).

Nick: Look here, you Stefan Salvatore-coded, trying to be the good guy, only to fall on your face, young man...I am both proud and upset with you for a million reasons. One of them is that you tried to stop Bree during the Blood Walk and also tried to get her to NOT come after you because you were in danger and wanted to protect her so, so much. But when she and Sel came to try and do that, that's when you cut off a Mageguard's head (good for you) and then ran, THAT'S when I got a bit disappointed in you.

Arthur: ...oh, you thought that you were going to be after Bree? Oh no. No siree-bob. YOU MADE ME SO DAMN MAD FOR LYING TO BREE LIKE THAT. All she wanted was someone to TEACH her how to do things, and then you waited and bieded your time, and then when she finally permitted you, you TAKE OVER like....YOU HAD HER PERMISSION IN THE FIRST PLACE, YOU SONOFABITCH. Then you tried to act like a big man on campus, but failed. I hope wherever you are, you think about your actions, and I hope you also regret what you did because YOU MADE ME SO DAMN MAD.

After all of that, I really did enjoy myself reading this book, and now it's on to the next one (and pray that I don't lose my shiz like I did this book).

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Book Review: Back in a Spell, a Witches of Thistle Grove novel by Lana Harper

Back in a Spell by Lana Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Back in a Spell is a book that almost made me cry, but it did made me go 'Oh my god, no she didn't!" and it also had some Targaryen vibes with Lyonesse and Igraine trying to use the new power that Nina has to wrest control from Emmy Harlow...but that shiz didn't work on dang ol' bit, now did it? Even though there was a nonbinary character (which I love, even their name, because I've never seen a character named Morty before in my life EVER), I really did enjoy this book. But the fact that the Blackmoore Elders wanted to be Targys and just try and take over Thistle Grove...like this isn't House of the Dragons, my dude. This is Thistle Grove, and witches and 'normies' that live here deserve to make a living and not be under Blackmoore rule.

So after Nina's and Morty's disastrous date, Nina goes to sleep and is with the Lady of the Lake, who made her a demigoddess. At the same time, Nina and Morty are also witchbonded, which really didn't sit well with Morty at all. They were once a normie, someone that doesn't know a thing about magic, but when Nina somehow made a deal with the Lady and became a demigoddess, Morty...Morty became a witch. A newbie magic user.

Nina decides to teach him magic after he came to find her at the Avalon and showed her what had happened to them, and the two started to fall in love. At the same time, Lyonesse and Igraine, after learning about Nina's new magic after she and Gareth tried to break the coin but couldn't, instead blew up The Cell, and the two started to act like Targys and wanted to take over Thistle Grove.

Like every Blackmoore, they did what they were told, and I was scared that Nina was about to do exactly that, but then, after thinking about it and having a discussion with Emmy, who came to her office after a very dangerous decision by Nina happened, I'm glad that she worked with Emmy. I'm glad that she told the truth about what happened to her and why she doesn't want that to happen.

The ending was top tier, because Emmy stripped Lyonesse and Igraine of magic, moved Gareth up to elder, and for Nina to be an assistant, as you will, to the Voice and the Arbiter, along with using less magic. I quite like that idea, because it shows that Nina and Gareth is real tired of being under Lyonesse's thumb and doing whatever she wants to gain power.

This one might be my favorite, but I got two more books to read so I can know how this story will progress. Also I want to be a witch and live in Thistle Grove SO BAD I love this series so much.

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Book Review: A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson

A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holy moly.

Holy gosh-darn moly.

This might be one of my favorite dragon books I've ever read this year-and this is the first book I've read in 2026 that was so good, I'm still thinking about it to this day.

Yes, this is a YA fantasy book. And yes, this has outstanding politics and includes some trigger warnings that you do need to look up when reading this, but other than that, I truly loved this book so much. You have language, the way the main character is trying to fight for what's right and what's wrong, and also how you learn what the government is doing behind closed doors. I ate everything up in this book, and now I need book two in my hands, please and thank you.

My favorite characters in this book are Viv, Marquis, Atlas, and Sophie. Viv is trying to do the job that she was sent to do, but then, when she talks to the other dragons and finds out what's actually going on, she does get confused when the final battle happens, but then she, in my opinion, made the right choice and chose the Coalition. I thought she was really going to give up what she learned about the "dragon code" to Wyvernmire (which I really hate with a huge passion), and I also feared that Viv would actually choose the wrong side, but thank the lord that she didn't.

I was cheering on Viv and Atlas, but that slow-burn hurt my soul (in the same way Georgia vs. Ole Miss hurt my soul), and I wanted them to last, but I guess I'll wait until the second book to find out what happens. And the whole thing was Sophie and Viv...I knew she was beating herself up, but when she told Sophie and apologized, I felt that too. I hope one day Sophie and Viv do become friends again, because I think Viv really missed that.

The talking dragons and their whole language interested me a lot, but what I liked the most was the multimedia that was in the book. You got newspapers and also recordings of meetings with the House of Parliament and the radio announcements...they were so good that I want to read more of them. I felt like they helped the story move instead of keeping it as a standstill.

Loved this book and I'm so glad that I read this book.

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