K.D. Rye's Blog, page 4

Tear the World Apart

I am thrilled to have just read Tear the World Apart, the fourth installment in the Fallen Gods series. Like a certain growing wolf pup, this book is a big boy. It’s packed with politics, love, betrayal, regret, grief, war, and the lingering smell of a ripe swamp full of corpses.

Quick warning: this review contains spoilers!

We last left off with Flowridia having just executed the resurrection of her lover, Ayla using the blood of the silver fire from the slain empress of Solvira. The tw...

Just My Type

I’ve been waiting to read Just My Type by Lucy Bexley and Bryce Oakley since July when I first heard about the concept of this novella on A Tip of the Tongue episode. Bexley mentioned the common characterization of vampires feeling ashamed of who they are and how this acts as an allegory for the LGBTQ community. They wanted to switch it up and develop a character who “leans into being evil” and isn’t ashamed of being who they are. I love this idea and enjoyed this read.

Here’s a quick plot –

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Aurora’s Angel

I picked up Aurora’s Angel by Emily Noon back in June after seeing that it won the LAMBDA Literary Award for romance. It’s been patiently waiting for me in my kindle library for the perfect reading moment which was about two weeks ago. Containing roughly 600 pages, this bad boy took me a little bit longer to finish, but it was all completely worth it.  

Here’s the premise –

While pursuing a quest to avenge her father’s death, beast-shifter Aurora finds avian, bird-shifter Evie trapped in a...

Clap When You Land

It’s been awhile since I read anything in Young Adult. This is a genre I consumed so fiercely in high school, but have neglected in adulthood. I am happy to be returning to the genre with Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. This is another novel consumed in less than a day. I know 2020 sucks for a variety of reasons, but it feels like a great book year, or maybe my reading game is just on point.

Here’s the plot –

Camino Rios lives in the Dominican Republic with her Tia (aunt), awaitin...

Night Ship

I read a lot, but even so, my shelves are filled with treasures yet to be discovered. A much needed break from screen time was needed this week so I forwent my e-library for my actual library. I have a small section of what I’ve entitled “feminist-esque fiction,” and pulled this little book down. It’s a find I either picked up at one of the big book sales I sorely miss attending or a neighbor’s garage sale, I can’t remember. However, I didn’t know that I’d be embarking on a journey to “the place...

Death’s Abyss

Last we saw Tallora and Dauriel was when a giant sea monster, the leviathan, was released, ending Heart of Silver Flame on a cliff hanger. Dauriel had just betrayed Tallora and the mermaids by hosting a peace summit and then ambushing Morathma, Solvira’s enemy, and starting a war.

Death’s Abyss has a bit more action than its predecessor. Pretty immediately Stelune, Tallora’s home, is massacred by the leviathan. Tallora works with the Queen, as the King and Prince Kal are being held prisoner ...

Following Chance

I’ve been anticipating another story from Baxter Brown. Her debut novel, Cameron’s Rules was the first romance novel I read for the blog that had me excited. Her writing has these golden nuggets of imagery that really leave me reeling. I also enjoy first person narration which is hard to find in the genre.

Here’s the plot –

Fifteen years ago, Kate and Lauren met in their college library where a budding friendship slowly turned into something deeper. Ending in heartbreak, Kate left town to ...

Spindrift

Anna Burke sure is heating up my summer with her foray into Contemporary romance. Spindrift might not have the fantasy, magical realism, or fairy tale/fable-ism of her past works (Thorn, Compass Rose, Nottingham), but it certainly evokes similar feelings of levity onto its reader.

The plot –

After the passing of her father, Emilia Russo finds herself staying in his house in Seal Cove, Maine, where she can contemplate what she’ll do next. Some time away from her previous life as a shelter-v...

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows

My dear readers, I had the absolute pleasure of reading The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows and then joining A Tip of The Tongue Podcast to discuss. Many of you have already listened to the episode and have thereby heard some of my thoughts. Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed that collaboration as much as I did.

Here’s a quick plot summary for those who haven’t listened yet –

Agatha Griffin, print shop owner, widow, and mother to newly-adult son, Sydney, is living life the best she can w...

Find Me When I’m Lost

I decided to return to the Charlie Mack Motown Mystery series to cover Find Me When I’m Lost. After enjoying the previous release of Judge Me When I’m Wrong, I was curious to see what Charlie and the gang was up to. Though this is the fifth book in the series, it wasn’t necessary to read the prior books to understand what was happening or who the characters were, so I can encourage this to be read as a standalone.

Here’s the premise –

Charlie is hired by her ex-husband’s wife, Pamela, to f...