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Ace of Swords
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Expected 7 Apr 26In Logan Ortega’s dystopian world, angels and vampires have a bloody history, and humans are at the bottom of the food chain. When the Izel, a species of half-vampire, half-angels, are completely massacred by the vampires—or so the angels claim—tensions are high, which means humans are in even more danger.
Logan knows this well—and has rarely known a day without fear. When she was a child, vampires killed her mother and took her father, orphaning her and her older brother. Her brother always had a plan to set out beyond the safety of their human city to seek revenge, but when he leaves without her, Logan decides she must face her fears and follow, or else forever live without knowing his fate. In her travels, Logan stumbles upon Cade, an Izel survivor. They strike a deal to travel together, if only so they don’t have to be alone.
Amber Blue, an angel, fears her best friend, Cade, has died along with the rest of the Izel in the massacre. But when she can’t find his body scattered among the remains, she decides to take matters into her own hands and investigate, only to end up captured by the vampire king and taken to his stronghold.
As Logan and Cade search for her brother, Amber attempts to resist the kings’s charms as they all discover the mystery of the Izel’s demise is more sinister than they can imagine, and each of them has a part to play.
Logan knows this well—and has rarely known a day without fear. When she was a child, vampires killed her mother and took her father, orphaning her and her older brother. Her brother always had a plan to set out beyond the safety of their human city to seek revenge, but when he leaves without her, Logan decides she must face her fears and follow, or else forever live without knowing his fate. In her travels, Logan stumbles upon Cade, an Izel survivor. They strike a deal to travel together, if only so they don’t have to be alone.
Amber Blue, an angel, fears her best friend, Cade, has died along with the rest of the Izel in the massacre. But when she can’t find his body scattered among the remains, she decides to take matters into her own hands and investigate, only to end up captured by the vampire king and taken to his stronghold.
As Logan and Cade search for her brother, Amber attempts to resist the kings’s charms as they all discover the mystery of the Izel’s demise is more sinister than they can imagine, and each of them has a part to play.
- GenresFantasy
Paperback
Expected publication April 7, 2026
1 person is currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Clare Carter
2 books32 followersHi! I’m Clare. I’m not a robot and I’m also a writer! I started writing when I was around 11. Of course, the first time I put pen to paper I wrote such eloquence as Warriors fanfiction, a book I claimed was original but was in reality LoTR fanfiction, and of course, an epic fantasy tale that was really just an excuse to write fanfiction about me and my friends.
I graduated from Virginia Tech in the Cursed Year of 2020. I majored in Creative Writing and Professional/Technical Writing, and minored in Classical Studies (which is basically a fancy name for Greek Mythology). I live in Richmond, Virginia. Some of my favorite things to do are watch movies with Hugh Jackman in them, play Dragon Age, and–of course–plan thousands of stories without ever actually completing any of them. :)
I graduated from Virginia Tech in the Cursed Year of 2020. I majored in Creative Writing and Professional/Technical Writing, and minored in Classical Studies (which is basically a fancy name for Greek Mythology). I live in Richmond, Virginia. Some of my favorite things to do are watch movies with Hugh Jackman in them, play Dragon Age, and–of course–plan thousands of stories without ever actually completing any of them. :)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 14, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ace of Swords has a gorgeous cover if I'm being completely honest here. It also introduces you to a magical world filled with vampires, angels and such. So, yeah, I was a sucker for all of this and didn't hesitate one bit to jump into this.
After meeting Logan and Cade, well, it's safe to say that I was here for their relationship. I mean the action, kidnapping, and everything else definitely kept this a page turner as well. But I was here for the romance because Logan and Cade were freaking adorable. They were so easy to fall in love with.
Then there's December, who just frustrated the hell out of me. Even though I love winter and I was born in that month... I loathed the guy. Other than that, I enjoyed everyone else. Each person was different but they all meshed together pretty well. With each point of view, and representation, just made this book so much easier to devour. Especially with all the twists and turns.
In the end, I couldn't put the book down. Even once I reached the very last page. I kept hoping for one more chapter. One more something. I'm honestly so glad that I got the chance to dive into this and fall in love with most of the characters.
Ace of Swords has a gorgeous cover if I'm being completely honest here. It also introduces you to a magical world filled with vampires, angels and such. So, yeah, I was a sucker for all of this and didn't hesitate one bit to jump into this.
After meeting Logan and Cade, well, it's safe to say that I was here for their relationship. I mean the action, kidnapping, and everything else definitely kept this a page turner as well. But I was here for the romance because Logan and Cade were freaking adorable. They were so easy to fall in love with.
Then there's December, who just frustrated the hell out of me. Even though I love winter and I was born in that month... I loathed the guy. Other than that, I enjoyed everyone else. Each person was different but they all meshed together pretty well. With each point of view, and representation, just made this book so much easier to devour. Especially with all the twists and turns.
In the end, I couldn't put the book down. Even once I reached the very last page. I kept hoping for one more chapter. One more something. I'm honestly so glad that I got the chance to dive into this and fall in love with most of the characters.
Read
August 29, 2021August 28th, 2021:
I re-read this in order to proofread it for my *new publisher* yay! So I'm counting it toward my goodreads goal again because I've read this baby like 15 times and I should at least have it count a couple times. Anyway, I'm still not gonna rate this because that's weird but honestly???? Usually I hate my writing after a bit but I think this is still good!! So yay!! That improved my spirits haha.
February 26th, 2021:
Hello everyone! This is my book and it comes out in a week and I'm SO excited for people to read it!! I'm not going to rate it because that's kinda weird and unfair because I'm very biased BUT I would love if you all read it and rated it and you BET I'm counting this toward my Goodreads goal because over the past 8 months I have read this book approximately 12 times. So I wanna count it at least once.
There's a link next to the Goodreads description for the Amazon link to pick the eBook up; please enjoy everyone! I'm so excited!!!! <3
I re-read this in order to proofread it for my *new publisher* yay! So I'm counting it toward my goodreads goal again because I've read this baby like 15 times and I should at least have it count a couple times. Anyway, I'm still not gonna rate this because that's weird but honestly???? Usually I hate my writing after a bit but I think this is still good!! So yay!! That improved my spirits haha.
February 26th, 2021:
Hello everyone! This is my book and it comes out in a week and I'm SO excited for people to read it!! I'm not going to rate it because that's kinda weird and unfair because I'm very biased BUT I would love if you all read it and rated it and you BET I'm counting this toward my Goodreads goal because over the past 8 months I have read this book approximately 12 times. So I wanna count it at least once.
There's a link next to the Goodreads description for the Amazon link to pick the eBook up; please enjoy everyone! I'm so excited!!!! <3
February 17, 2021
Angels and Vampires have been at war for years, with humans, like Logan, nearly wiped out as a consequence. Logan's father was taken by vampires when she was a kid, so she's spent her life studying them. Hoping for a chance to get her revenge. Her brother is long gone, cast out of the orphanage when her turned 18. When a mute Ixel (half vampire, half angel) saves her from a vampire, she get's her chance to find the vampires base.
First off, this book was so good, I genuinely enjoyed it. The world is unique, the characters are engaging. I think incorporating ASL was done really well (however, I am not deaf or hard of hearing, so take my opinion with a grain of salt).
The only thing that bothered me was that I couldn't keep track of the timeline, even with the dates at the beginning of chapters I kept getting confused.
*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.
First off, this book was so good, I genuinely enjoyed it. The world is unique, the characters are engaging. I think incorporating ASL was done really well (however, I am not deaf or hard of hearing, so take my opinion with a grain of salt).
The only thing that bothered me was that I couldn't keep track of the timeline, even with the dates at the beginning of chapters I kept getting confused.
*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.
April 12, 2021
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
TW: Blood/gore, toxic relationships, racism
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ace of Swords follows many different perspectives, but its main character is Logan, a girl who has been in and out of orphanages ever since her father was killed by vampires. As she nears the age to be kicked out of the orphan home, she becomes more desperate to find her brother Eli and her father in a world ravaged by a war between vampires and angels. Then everything changes when she meets Cade, an Izel from vampire and angel bloodlines, a species supposedly extinct.
This world supposedly takes place in a 1980s-1990s dystopian America, which was interesting. However, there were so many different aspects that never felt like they went together well. There was the war between vampires and angels, which we never find out the root cause for. There are werewolves, but they get like maybe 20-30 pages of screen time, if that. Then there are these different leaders called The Swords, and that felt completely all over the place and never completely fleshed out. One of the characters becomes the Fool card, but that's never explained. It was like someone took two different worlds and attempted to mash them together in an apocalyptic mess, and it didn't read well. I did like the powers that each species had, like illusions and lightning manipulation.
The book was also broken up into several POVs that consistently jumped to different points in the timeline of the story, from pre-destruction of Izels to the current timeline, and it made the story a bit messy. On top of that, we kept getting POVs that I felt like were a bit unnecessary, such as the POV of Logan's father or even December for that matter. They just felt like filler and kind of ruined the big plot twist in the long run.
I wasn't really attached to any of the characters. The only person I really felt sympathy for was Amber, who had a great development arc for getting out of a toxic relationship and opening her eyes to the bigger picture. But there were so many characters with names kind of similar to one another that it became a giant cluster of characters to keep track of.
The ending was extremely messy in that it felt like it was too rushed and trying to tie everything together in a giant, tangled knot. The whole reunion at the end was so out of place. I have no idea how specific things happened or why. It just left me with more questions than answers.
Ace of Swords felt like a decent concept with a messy execution, and not something I would truly recommend.
TW: Blood/gore, toxic relationships, racism
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ace of Swords follows many different perspectives, but its main character is Logan, a girl who has been in and out of orphanages ever since her father was killed by vampires. As she nears the age to be kicked out of the orphan home, she becomes more desperate to find her brother Eli and her father in a world ravaged by a war between vampires and angels. Then everything changes when she meets Cade, an Izel from vampire and angel bloodlines, a species supposedly extinct.
This world supposedly takes place in a 1980s-1990s dystopian America, which was interesting. However, there were so many different aspects that never felt like they went together well. There was the war between vampires and angels, which we never find out the root cause for. There are werewolves, but they get like maybe 20-30 pages of screen time, if that. Then there are these different leaders called The Swords, and that felt completely all over the place and never completely fleshed out. One of the characters becomes the Fool card, but that's never explained. It was like someone took two different worlds and attempted to mash them together in an apocalyptic mess, and it didn't read well. I did like the powers that each species had, like illusions and lightning manipulation.
The book was also broken up into several POVs that consistently jumped to different points in the timeline of the story, from pre-destruction of Izels to the current timeline, and it made the story a bit messy. On top of that, we kept getting POVs that I felt like were a bit unnecessary, such as the POV of Logan's father or even December for that matter. They just felt like filler and kind of ruined the big plot twist in the long run.
I wasn't really attached to any of the characters. The only person I really felt sympathy for was Amber, who had a great development arc for getting out of a toxic relationship and opening her eyes to the bigger picture. But there were so many characters with names kind of similar to one another that it became a giant cluster of characters to keep track of.
The ending was extremely messy in that it felt like it was too rushed and trying to tie everything together in a giant, tangled knot. The whole reunion at the end was so out of place. I have no idea how specific things happened or why. It just left me with more questions than answers.
Ace of Swords felt like a decent concept with a messy execution, and not something I would truly recommend.
March 4, 2021
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Ace of Swords in exchange for an honest review.
I can feel my reviews for these YA fantasy romances becoming more and more generic, but that's because books like this tend to be a lot of the same thing world, plot, and character dynamic wise. That's not necessarily a bad thing (tropes exist for a reason), but books like Ace of Swords really need you to start caring about the characters pretty early on to keep you invested in the plot, and I found all of them to be quite bland. As a result, I never got invested in any of their relationships (even though there's queer rep in here which is singlehandedly the easiest way to bias my rep starved heart in favor of a book) and it all fell really flat.
I can feel my reviews for these YA fantasy romances becoming more and more generic, but that's because books like this tend to be a lot of the same thing world, plot, and character dynamic wise. That's not necessarily a bad thing (tropes exist for a reason), but books like Ace of Swords really need you to start caring about the characters pretty early on to keep you invested in the plot, and I found all of them to be quite bland. As a result, I never got invested in any of their relationships (even though there's queer rep in here which is singlehandedly the easiest way to bias my rep starved heart in favor of a book) and it all fell really flat.
March 4, 2021
I hear vampires and I come running.
"Ace of Swords" transports its reader into a fascinating dystopian world defined by the ongoing war between angels and vampires.
After losing her family to vampires, our main character Logan spend her whole life in fear of their species, yet she never stopped researching them in hopes of finding her father. When she meets Cade, a mute half-angel, half-vampire, whose species was eradicated years ago, she knows she has found an opportunity she cannot pass. What she doesn’t know is that the longer the two travel together, and the better she comes to know Cade, the less she starts to hate her supposed enemy.
I really need to point out how much I enjoyed the inclusion of a mute main character in a fantasy book! It’s definitely something I have not come across often (which is incredibly sad), but I found Cade‘s representation very well written.
Especially the description of ASL was greatly woven into the story and I appreciated the fact that Logan immediately started learning it in order to communicate with Cade more easily.
I also really enjoyed the natural representation of LGBTQ+ characters and how (especially) gay characters were accepted without second thought by everyone in this book. I liked the fact that in a war-driven world full of angels and vampires, at least homophobia supposedly isn’t a thing anymore!
Additionally, the relationships in this book were particularly engaging and held a great variety. In "Ace of Swords" the reader gets the chance to read about so many different kind of developing relationships - let it be the deep love between siblings and/or friends, a slow and hesitant love only just starting to blossom between supposed enemies, or steady relationships build on several years already spend together.
Clare Carter covers toxic relationships as well, and is sending her characters onto a believable journey of recognition and recovery, which was another great addition to the variety of representation in "Ace of Swords".
And while there were many stages of different relationships represented, they read rather like a lovely addition to the story, leaving the main focus on the fascinating world building and individual character growth, which I absolutely enjoyed.
"Ace of Swords" was as unique as it was captivating!
Its multiple point of views following different characters in different timelines steadily create a very gripping reading experience, especially the closer the individual characters come to joining together and reaching the ultimate climax of the story, which didn’t disappoint in the slightest.
Being written in a rather easy and direct writing style, "Ace of Swords" is an ideal book to fly through. I was for sure constantly left eager to learn more about the politics behind the ongoing war between angels and vampires - which ended up being much more complex than I anticipated it to be! I liked getting to know the motives of so many different parties of the war, and how everything (and everyone) ended up being so smartly connected.
"Ace of Swords" is not only full of amazing representation, it also holds a great balance between strong world building, action packed chapters, and slow paced passages focusing on character development and internal struggles.
If you are looking for a great dystopian vampire story, this might just be the one for you!
[ I am incredibly thankful for NetGalley and FyreSyde Publishing for providing me with a free arc of this in exchange for an honest review! ]
"Ace of Swords" transports its reader into a fascinating dystopian world defined by the ongoing war between angels and vampires.
After losing her family to vampires, our main character Logan spend her whole life in fear of their species, yet she never stopped researching them in hopes of finding her father. When she meets Cade, a mute half-angel, half-vampire, whose species was eradicated years ago, she knows she has found an opportunity she cannot pass. What she doesn’t know is that the longer the two travel together, and the better she comes to know Cade, the less she starts to hate her supposed enemy.
I really need to point out how much I enjoyed the inclusion of a mute main character in a fantasy book! It’s definitely something I have not come across often (which is incredibly sad), but I found Cade‘s representation very well written.
Especially the description of ASL was greatly woven into the story and I appreciated the fact that Logan immediately started learning it in order to communicate with Cade more easily.
I also really enjoyed the natural representation of LGBTQ+ characters and how (especially) gay characters were accepted without second thought by everyone in this book. I liked the fact that in a war-driven world full of angels and vampires, at least homophobia supposedly isn’t a thing anymore!
Additionally, the relationships in this book were particularly engaging and held a great variety. In "Ace of Swords" the reader gets the chance to read about so many different kind of developing relationships - let it be the deep love between siblings and/or friends, a slow and hesitant love only just starting to blossom between supposed enemies, or steady relationships build on several years already spend together.
Clare Carter covers toxic relationships as well, and is sending her characters onto a believable journey of recognition and recovery, which was another great addition to the variety of representation in "Ace of Swords".
And while there were many stages of different relationships represented, they read rather like a lovely addition to the story, leaving the main focus on the fascinating world building and individual character growth, which I absolutely enjoyed.
"Ace of Swords" was as unique as it was captivating!
Its multiple point of views following different characters in different timelines steadily create a very gripping reading experience, especially the closer the individual characters come to joining together and reaching the ultimate climax of the story, which didn’t disappoint in the slightest.
Being written in a rather easy and direct writing style, "Ace of Swords" is an ideal book to fly through. I was for sure constantly left eager to learn more about the politics behind the ongoing war between angels and vampires - which ended up being much more complex than I anticipated it to be! I liked getting to know the motives of so many different parties of the war, and how everything (and everyone) ended up being so smartly connected.
"Ace of Swords" is not only full of amazing representation, it also holds a great balance between strong world building, action packed chapters, and slow paced passages focusing on character development and internal struggles.
If you are looking for a great dystopian vampire story, this might just be the one for you!
[ I am incredibly thankful for NetGalley and FyreSyde Publishing for providing me with a free arc of this in exchange for an honest review! ]
March 21, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This story really had potential but it fell flat in execution.
There are a lot of moving parts to this story. We follow multiple characters and each chapter is a different time and narrator. I tend to not enjoy books like this because the flow just doesn't work. I lost track of when things were occurring and then toward the end everything just tied up suddenly and I felt it ended too quickly and neatly.
Logan, the main character is trying to find her father and her brother. Her father was bit by a vampire at the beginning of the book. Logan and her brother Eli escaped to an orphanage. Eli is six years older than Logan and when he aged out of the orphanage they lost track of each other.
One day Logan is at the border between human land and vampire land when she meets an Izel-half vampire, half angel- named Cade. Cade is trying to find two friends of his. They agree to team up to find their missing loved ones.
Logan irritated me. Her character lacked depth and I felt like everything with her was very surface. I never had a good feel for her personality. She was just bland.
Cade is my favorite character in this book. He is funny and he teaches Logan a lot about the world and her prejudices about vampires and angels.
There are underlying themes of racism in this book that I think are so important so I'm so disappointed in how flat the story fell.
I see a potential for a sequel due to a few things that took place at the end of the book but there is no cliff hanger. I probably would skip a sequel at this point regardless.
This story really had potential but it fell flat in execution.
There are a lot of moving parts to this story. We follow multiple characters and each chapter is a different time and narrator. I tend to not enjoy books like this because the flow just doesn't work. I lost track of when things were occurring and then toward the end everything just tied up suddenly and I felt it ended too quickly and neatly.
Logan, the main character is trying to find her father and her brother. Her father was bit by a vampire at the beginning of the book. Logan and her brother Eli escaped to an orphanage. Eli is six years older than Logan and when he aged out of the orphanage they lost track of each other.
One day Logan is at the border between human land and vampire land when she meets an Izel-half vampire, half angel- named Cade. Cade is trying to find two friends of his. They agree to team up to find their missing loved ones.
Logan irritated me. Her character lacked depth and I felt like everything with her was very surface. I never had a good feel for her personality. She was just bland.
Cade is my favorite character in this book. He is funny and he teaches Logan a lot about the world and her prejudices about vampires and angels.
There are underlying themes of racism in this book that I think are so important so I'm so disappointed in how flat the story fell.
I see a potential for a sequel due to a few things that took place at the end of the book but there is no cliff hanger. I probably would skip a sequel at this point regardless.
May 25, 2021
This book was really original and fun to read. The plot is something new and interesting and the characters have great interactions. I particularly liked the weaving timeline/ perspectives that Carter used throughout the story, sometimes that method confuses me or makes me lost, but it’s handled really cleanly here that it wasn’t ever a problem for me. It also helped that this book is a very smooth read, chapters go into one another, the last line is almost always a banger so you have to keep going to know what’s next! The second half of this book is especially strong and fun to read, and the twists and information revealed there I think is handled really skillfully.
I will say that there were some parts I am just DYING to know more about in terms of world building and reasoning/ purposes (why the war? What does the Fool Card do? Where do the tarot origins come from?) and while i had those questions in the back of my head, the plot at the front line was snappy and high stakes enough that I never really felt held back out of curiosity or questions. This is Carter’s debut novel, and I believe that plot, characters, world building, and quality can only continue to go up in her future projects.
I will say that there were some parts I am just DYING to know more about in terms of world building and reasoning/ purposes (why the war? What does the Fool Card do? Where do the tarot origins come from?) and while i had those questions in the back of my head, the plot at the front line was snappy and high stakes enough that I never really felt held back out of curiosity or questions. This is Carter’s debut novel, and I believe that plot, characters, world building, and quality can only continue to go up in her future projects.
May 26, 2021
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I found the idea of vampires and angels in an age old war to be an interesting concept. Throw in some angel/vampire hybrids and humans just trying to survive a dystopian world - and I was really intrigued.
Unfortunately for me, I felt that the book needed more work. I wanted to know more about the world, I wish there had been more depth to it and the characters as well. Some of them were interesting and had aspects that were great, however, I felt that for the most part they were just surface characters. This could have been in part due to the fact that the book flicks between time periods and between characters. So you really do have to pay attention to the character and what year it says it is, so you know whether or not you're going backwards or forwards with their character development.
I think it had some really good potential, just needed more polish to make it a book that is a page turner. It's format would suit an onscreen adaptation though.
I found the idea of vampires and angels in an age old war to be an interesting concept. Throw in some angel/vampire hybrids and humans just trying to survive a dystopian world - and I was really intrigued.
Unfortunately for me, I felt that the book needed more work. I wanted to know more about the world, I wish there had been more depth to it and the characters as well. Some of them were interesting and had aspects that were great, however, I felt that for the most part they were just surface characters. This could have been in part due to the fact that the book flicks between time periods and between characters. So you really do have to pay attention to the character and what year it says it is, so you know whether or not you're going backwards or forwards with their character development.
I think it had some really good potential, just needed more polish to make it a book that is a page turner. It's format would suit an onscreen adaptation though.
April 12, 2021
Despite the intriguing premise and the presence of a mute character using ASL (one of the aspects that drawn my attention), this book did not work for me.
I found it a bit confusing. Moreover, since I couldn't connect with the characters, I didn't really care much about the story itself, losing interest pretty soon.
Overall, I think that this story had potential but it fell flat in execution.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.
I found it a bit confusing. Moreover, since I couldn't connect with the characters, I didn't really care much about the story itself, losing interest pretty soon.
Overall, I think that this story had potential but it fell flat in execution.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.
April 25, 2021
Vampires and angels are not usually my thing, but I made an exception for this book. I have to say I'm hooked! This book is very well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from cover to cover! I would love for Miss Carter to write a prequel, so I can find out more about what lead up to the war between the vampires and angels.
Definitely read this book!
Definitely read this book!
June 4, 2021
- Love the Cade/Logan romance
- The action scenes are really exciting and probably the highlights of the book for me (especially the final one)
- December should throw himself off a cliff honestly
- Big fan of the ASL aspect/story. It added a dimension to the relationship which made it even cuter tbh
- I feel like there were a lot of plot points that were there but weren't necessarily followed as in-depth as I'd like
Overall I absolutely liked it and would recommend! Excited to see if there are more stories in the Ace of Swords Cinematic Universe
- The action scenes are really exciting and probably the highlights of the book for me (especially the final one)
- December should throw himself off a cliff honestly
- Big fan of the ASL aspect/story. It added a dimension to the relationship which made it even cuter tbh
- I feel like there were a lot of plot points that were there but weren't necessarily followed as in-depth as I'd like
Overall I absolutely liked it and would recommend! Excited to see if there are more stories in the Ace of Swords Cinematic Universe
April 3, 2021
Clare!!! My friend and Group 14 buddy. I am so proud of you and this book! I loved every page of it. This story was engaging, heartfelt, and packed full of action! (I mean, what else can a girl want?) I can’t wait to read your short story, and I look forward to seeing where your writing career goes. 💙🙂
May 16, 2021
Wonderful characters, great setting, and a fun story! Vampires? Check. Angels? Check. Cool powers including literal lightning? CHECK. Plus I’m a sucker (Hah) for vampire kings.
May 22, 2021
Truly an honor to read this book even though it took me forever <3
March 23, 2021
Congratulations Clare!
I'm so glad to have read this book. This is not my usual genre, and I am now on a fantasy kick after starting this. I was legitimately teary-eyed at the end.
I wish this book had MORE! Why is the war ongoing? How do the genetics work? Give me more tarot content and cute gays and big swords! Maybe Clare's next book will give me all of that and more (hint hint).
I'm a Clare Carter Stan for life. Congrats on your debut :)
I'm so glad to have read this book. This is not my usual genre, and I am now on a fantasy kick after starting this. I was legitimately teary-eyed at the end.
I wish this book had MORE! Why is the war ongoing? How do the genetics work? Give me more tarot content and cute gays and big swords! Maybe Clare's next book will give me all of that and more (hint hint).
I'm a Clare Carter Stan for life. Congrats on your debut :)
March 16, 2021
I received an e-arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The cover of this book is beautiful , but it’s the description of this book that drew me in fully. It reminded me of the books I loved in middle and high school. It’d been so long since I’d had a good vampire book. And it’s so hard finding angel books. So to have Vampires and Angels? I couldn’t pass it up. Even better, we would be getting a hybrid species too.
I’ll start with the things that I liked that this story included. I liked to see the representation of a mute character and the active inclusion of ASL. I rarely see that kind of inclusion or representation in contemporary books, let alone fantasy. I also really liked to see that there was also queer representation. I did like the concept of the book, it’s uniqueness, and some of the story. That was about all I really liked though.
There was so much potential, but this really missed the mark. It was just really difficult to get through for a few reasons. Even with the dates at the start of each chapter, it was still so hard to keep track of the timelines. I would spend chunks of each chapter confused before I’d go back to the start to remind myself what time we were in. Another reason it was difficult to get through is because of the constant changing different povs. It was hard to stay invested and interested when we hardly got a chance to really care for a character when the POV is regularly being shifted away from them. Adding both constant time jumps and POV changes together was not a good move. It only furthered my confusion and lessened my interest.
And it really sucks because I wanted to have a relationship to really root for and fall in love with, but since I couldn’t even fall in love with a character because we get so little time to really focus anyone in specific, I couldn’t even even care for the relationships, queer or not.
Overall, this book had so much potential and so many great aspects, but I think it tried to do so much at once that it just fell off from what it could’ve been. I don’t hate this book, but I am disappointed in what it could’ve been but wasn’t. However, I am grateful to have been given a chance to read an arc of this book and review.
The cover of this book is beautiful , but it’s the description of this book that drew me in fully. It reminded me of the books I loved in middle and high school. It’d been so long since I’d had a good vampire book. And it’s so hard finding angel books. So to have Vampires and Angels? I couldn’t pass it up. Even better, we would be getting a hybrid species too.
I’ll start with the things that I liked that this story included. I liked to see the representation of a mute character and the active inclusion of ASL. I rarely see that kind of inclusion or representation in contemporary books, let alone fantasy. I also really liked to see that there was also queer representation. I did like the concept of the book, it’s uniqueness, and some of the story. That was about all I really liked though.
There was so much potential, but this really missed the mark. It was just really difficult to get through for a few reasons. Even with the dates at the start of each chapter, it was still so hard to keep track of the timelines. I would spend chunks of each chapter confused before I’d go back to the start to remind myself what time we were in. Another reason it was difficult to get through is because of the constant changing different povs. It was hard to stay invested and interested when we hardly got a chance to really care for a character when the POV is regularly being shifted away from them. Adding both constant time jumps and POV changes together was not a good move. It only furthered my confusion and lessened my interest.
And it really sucks because I wanted to have a relationship to really root for and fall in love with, but since I couldn’t even fall in love with a character because we get so little time to really focus anyone in specific, I couldn’t even even care for the relationships, queer or not.
Overall, this book had so much potential and so many great aspects, but I think it tried to do so much at once that it just fell off from what it could’ve been. I don’t hate this book, but I am disappointed in what it could’ve been but wasn’t. However, I am grateful to have been given a chance to read an arc of this book and review.
May 20, 2021
Ace of Swords is a dystopia fantasy novel with hints of adventure, romance and diversity. The opening of the novel we are introduced to the world in which Logan, one of the protagonists, has grown up in. In this world, there are humans, angels and vampires. After losing her father, Robby, to a vampire attack, Logan and her brother, Eli, grow up in an orphanage and they lose touch when Eli ages out of the system. This sense of loss leads Logan to research the colony of vampires near her orphanage. While on one of her stakeouts, she loses something precious to her and stalks into the vampires’ territory to find it. This is where she meets Cade, a mute half-angel half-vampire. She realizes that Cade can help her in her search for her father and brother.
The different perspective in this novel were diverse and led to an engaging plot with twists and turns. The inclusion of a mute character who communicates through ASL is refreshing, as is the description and task of learning of ASL woven within the story between Logan and Cade. The relationships that are explored in Ace of Swords are truly amazing and diverse. Cade faces by adversity and prejudice due to his race. Logan faces being alone in the world after she ages out of the system. The other characters include Denzi (the king of the vampires), Ben (Eli’s partner), December and Amber who are the angel friends of Cade who hid him after the traumatic attack of the Izel race. Each character brings their own perspectives and storylines , which includes the love between siblings and friends, a slow and hesitant love only starting to blossom, or steady relationships build on several years already spend together. Clare also includes toxic relationships, and sends the characters in Ace fo Swords into journeys of recognition and recovery.
Ace of Swords is definitely unique and gripping. The multiple point of views following each characters through the timeline steadily create an amazing reading experience. The closer the individual characters get to finding out what is happening, finding each other and reaching the climax of the plot, (which didn’t disappoint), the more you can’t put the book down.
ARC Provided by NetGalley and FyreSyde Publishing
The different perspective in this novel were diverse and led to an engaging plot with twists and turns. The inclusion of a mute character who communicates through ASL is refreshing, as is the description and task of learning of ASL woven within the story between Logan and Cade. The relationships that are explored in Ace of Swords are truly amazing and diverse. Cade faces by adversity and prejudice due to his race. Logan faces being alone in the world after she ages out of the system. The other characters include Denzi (the king of the vampires), Ben (Eli’s partner), December and Amber who are the angel friends of Cade who hid him after the traumatic attack of the Izel race. Each character brings their own perspectives and storylines , which includes the love between siblings and friends, a slow and hesitant love only starting to blossom, or steady relationships build on several years already spend together. Clare also includes toxic relationships, and sends the characters in Ace fo Swords into journeys of recognition and recovery.
Ace of Swords is definitely unique and gripping. The multiple point of views following each characters through the timeline steadily create an amazing reading experience. The closer the individual characters get to finding out what is happening, finding each other and reaching the climax of the plot, (which didn’t disappoint), the more you can’t put the book down.
ARC Provided by NetGalley and FyreSyde Publishing
September 26, 2021
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Ace of Shadows follows Logan, a human whose father was taken by vampires when she was a child, and Cade, a mute half-angel, half-vampire. The two meet up early in the novel and work together to save Cade's angel friends and find Logan's father.
I'll admit, I skimmed through the second half. At that point, I just wasn't interested in the characters or the plot. I thought that they had potential but that wasn't met. After about 50 pages, I started to lose interest. I think the multiple shifting POVs played a role in this. I feel like I didn't get to know the main characters because there were so many people's perspectives I was reading. Also, maybe this is just me, but I had a really difficult time following the time jumps from future to past, especially with those different characters.
Since I couldn't really connect with the characters, I didn't really care much about Cade and Logan's romance. I didn't dislike it – I didn't really dislike anything in this novel – I just felt meh about it. The plot summary was interesting and I was intrigued by the first few pages but it just didn't catch my attention. I did really like the inclusion of ASL/a mute character, though. I thought that was the most interesting part of the novel, especially in a supernatural context.
Ace of Shadows follows Logan, a human whose father was taken by vampires when she was a child, and Cade, a mute half-angel, half-vampire. The two meet up early in the novel and work together to save Cade's angel friends and find Logan's father.
I'll admit, I skimmed through the second half. At that point, I just wasn't interested in the characters or the plot. I thought that they had potential but that wasn't met. After about 50 pages, I started to lose interest. I think the multiple shifting POVs played a role in this. I feel like I didn't get to know the main characters because there were so many people's perspectives I was reading. Also, maybe this is just me, but I had a really difficult time following the time jumps from future to past, especially with those different characters.
Since I couldn't really connect with the characters, I didn't really care much about Cade and Logan's romance. I didn't dislike it – I didn't really dislike anything in this novel – I just felt meh about it. The plot summary was interesting and I was intrigued by the first few pages but it just didn't catch my attention. I did really like the inclusion of ASL/a mute character, though. I thought that was the most interesting part of the novel, especially in a supernatural context.
March 11, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It’s extremely refreshing to see ASL representation in literature! I especially enjoyed the character development throughout the book! I really enjoyed seeing the various perspectives especially since they were at various points in the timeline of the book! Overall a very enjoyable read for those who enjoy fantasy books!
March 8, 2021
In the 1990s, there is an ongoing war between Angeles and Vampires. It is the humans and the werewolves that find themselves caught in the middle as they are not major players for one side or the other, but can be unintended victims of war. Our main story is about a girl trying to find her father after he is suddenly kidnaped by vampires. There are multiple side stories that create a vast tapestry of intertwining stories that captivate the reader to find some truths as everything may not be as it seems. The story seamlessly includes representation of a mute character, LGBTQ+ relationships, toxic relationships, and prejudices in an entertaining supernatural novel.
This story is told from seven different points of view! Each character focuses on one character either in the present or past. Our present timeline takes place around the fall of 1994 and the story mainly stays around 1990 for its chapters in the past, with an exception in the late 1980s. First up, we have Robby, who is the father of two characters, Logan and Eli. His kidnapping by vampires starts the journey for the two children and sets off the events of the books. Next, we have Eli, the older brother, who is a human. Our main character is Eli’s younger sister, Logan, also a human. We have the supernatural characters next, two angels, Amber, an angel, and her boyfriend, December, also an angel. You have Amber’s childhood friend, Cade, an Izel (angel/vampire hybrid). Finally, the last point of view is Denzi, the vampire king.
Eli and Logan start in the same orphanage, but are separated after Eli ages out of the system. Eli’s journey takes him to eventually end up in a transition house with the Vicky, the Queen of Swords, the human queen. He becomes a member of the Cards, a group of elites that each represents a Tarot Card. He is the Fool, which following the Tarot, represents faith in the future and new beginnings. It disappointed me that this was not further explored as it seemed to be mentioned and then the story moved on. Eli’s main chapters are set in the past as the events he is involved in act as backstory for the events in the present.
Logan escapes her time at the orphanage and journeys on the search for her father. Near the edge of vampire territory, she runs into Cade, who is mute. It was fantastic to have a mute character included in a story as I loved the author incorporated the use of ASL and how Logan immediately wants to learn it in order to communicate with him. The two of them join forces as Cade wants to find Amber and December after becoming separated and Logan wants to find her father, both most likely will be found in vampire territory. Logan is at first unsure about Cade due to his vampire heritage, but soon she starts to think that maybe not all vampires are the enemy. Cade is most likely the last of his kind as the Izel population was wiped out suddenly after an attack by vampires. There is a mystery surrounding the attack as the vampires aren’t completely claiming ownership of the attack and maybe other beings could be involved.
Amber, December, and Denzi’s portion of the story take place in both the past and present as Amber and December have been caught by the vampires and are now planning their escape so they can find Cade. Amber and December have a very complex relationship and it was interesting to read about how their relationship has stayed together since they were younger. I found myself very invested in their story to see not only how they will grow as characters, but also how their relationship will be affected by their capture. Although, Cade and Logan began to develop feelings for each other during their travels together, I found myself not being as invested in them in favor of the secondary characters.
Overall, Ace of Swords fits the Tarot card description as it represents the pursuit of truth and to find justice. The entire novel is set in both Montana and Wyoming, however, I would not have known if the story did not flat out tell me where the characters were. I wish there were more descriptors of the environment as it was difficult to tell if they were traveling though the wilderness or cities. The story was really interesting when you look at the big picture. You have all the different beings who are at war with each other with those caught in the middle trying to stay alive. There is a complex web of characters who all have their different backgrounds and motivations for how they arrived at a certain place and how they fit into the story. I found it all very interesting. The most difficult part while reading was relating to each character. As the chapters switch points of view, I was unable to connect with each character as the story moved on before I was given a chance. For the plot and general pacing, this system worked as the reader got the backstory and present events presented in a timely manner, but it left the characters behind as there was no opportunity to care about them. It was a very entertaining, but slightly confusing, read.
**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, FyreSyde Publishing, for an ARC to read. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**
This story is told from seven different points of view! Each character focuses on one character either in the present or past. Our present timeline takes place around the fall of 1994 and the story mainly stays around 1990 for its chapters in the past, with an exception in the late 1980s. First up, we have Robby, who is the father of two characters, Logan and Eli. His kidnapping by vampires starts the journey for the two children and sets off the events of the books. Next, we have Eli, the older brother, who is a human. Our main character is Eli’s younger sister, Logan, also a human. We have the supernatural characters next, two angels, Amber, an angel, and her boyfriend, December, also an angel. You have Amber’s childhood friend, Cade, an Izel (angel/vampire hybrid). Finally, the last point of view is Denzi, the vampire king.
Eli and Logan start in the same orphanage, but are separated after Eli ages out of the system. Eli’s journey takes him to eventually end up in a transition house with the Vicky, the Queen of Swords, the human queen. He becomes a member of the Cards, a group of elites that each represents a Tarot Card. He is the Fool, which following the Tarot, represents faith in the future and new beginnings. It disappointed me that this was not further explored as it seemed to be mentioned and then the story moved on. Eli’s main chapters are set in the past as the events he is involved in act as backstory for the events in the present.
Logan escapes her time at the orphanage and journeys on the search for her father. Near the edge of vampire territory, she runs into Cade, who is mute. It was fantastic to have a mute character included in a story as I loved the author incorporated the use of ASL and how Logan immediately wants to learn it in order to communicate with him. The two of them join forces as Cade wants to find Amber and December after becoming separated and Logan wants to find her father, both most likely will be found in vampire territory. Logan is at first unsure about Cade due to his vampire heritage, but soon she starts to think that maybe not all vampires are the enemy. Cade is most likely the last of his kind as the Izel population was wiped out suddenly after an attack by vampires. There is a mystery surrounding the attack as the vampires aren’t completely claiming ownership of the attack and maybe other beings could be involved.
Amber, December, and Denzi’s portion of the story take place in both the past and present as Amber and December have been caught by the vampires and are now planning their escape so they can find Cade. Amber and December have a very complex relationship and it was interesting to read about how their relationship has stayed together since they were younger. I found myself very invested in their story to see not only how they will grow as characters, but also how their relationship will be affected by their capture. Although, Cade and Logan began to develop feelings for each other during their travels together, I found myself not being as invested in them in favor of the secondary characters.
Overall, Ace of Swords fits the Tarot card description as it represents the pursuit of truth and to find justice. The entire novel is set in both Montana and Wyoming, however, I would not have known if the story did not flat out tell me where the characters were. I wish there were more descriptors of the environment as it was difficult to tell if they were traveling though the wilderness or cities. The story was really interesting when you look at the big picture. You have all the different beings who are at war with each other with those caught in the middle trying to stay alive. There is a complex web of characters who all have their different backgrounds and motivations for how they arrived at a certain place and how they fit into the story. I found it all very interesting. The most difficult part while reading was relating to each character. As the chapters switch points of view, I was unable to connect with each character as the story moved on before I was given a chance. For the plot and general pacing, this system worked as the reader got the backstory and present events presented in a timely manner, but it left the characters behind as there was no opportunity to care about them. It was a very entertaining, but slightly confusing, read.
**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, FyreSyde Publishing, for an ARC to read. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**
March 13, 2021
I received a free eARC of this book from FyreSyde Publishing via Net Galley for an honest review.
This book follows the family of Robby (father), Eli (son/brother) and Logan (sister/daughter) during the late 80's and early 90's.. Throughout this time a long standing war is taking place between the angels, vampires, izels and humans. The family gets separated during their travels and the book follows each character during their journey and trials to try and find each other.
This book has a lot of adventure, and action. There is some romance but nothing to graphic and it does not overshadow the story. I loved how brave both Logan and Eli are. Logans journey seems to be the main focus and she has many trials. This story does have an HEA which I enjoy.
There were a few things that I dd not like which is why it received a 4 star review. There was a lot of time jumping which could be confusing. I was able to follow the story although i did have to look back to see what year I was reading about. The other thing that I thought was a bit confusing was at the very end of the story was a small chapter that seemed out of place or not needed at all. Other than those 2 things, I enjoyed the story and recommend this book to anyone who loves a good versus bad type fable/fantasy.
This book follows the family of Robby (father), Eli (son/brother) and Logan (sister/daughter) during the late 80's and early 90's.. Throughout this time a long standing war is taking place between the angels, vampires, izels and humans. The family gets separated during their travels and the book follows each character during their journey and trials to try and find each other.
This book has a lot of adventure, and action. There is some romance but nothing to graphic and it does not overshadow the story. I loved how brave both Logan and Eli are. Logans journey seems to be the main focus and she has many trials. This story does have an HEA which I enjoy.
There were a few things that I dd not like which is why it received a 4 star review. There was a lot of time jumping which could be confusing. I was able to follow the story although i did have to look back to see what year I was reading about. The other thing that I thought was a bit confusing was at the very end of the story was a small chapter that seemed out of place or not needed at all. Other than those 2 things, I enjoyed the story and recommend this book to anyone who loves a good versus bad type fable/fantasy.
April 1, 2021
I received an arc of this in return for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion and all opinions are my own.
SPOILERS AHEAD
So where do I start? I didn’t come into reading this book with any preconceptions but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Anything with vampires, angels or werewolves is totally up my alley, and the fact that this book has them all has just made my life!
The only qualms I’ve had was that sometimes I forgot who Eli was, he wasn’t a huge part of the story for me, but I do love Ben so 🤷♀️
Also, when I got to 97% and she still hadn’t found her dad I was a little worried, their meeting felt slightly rushed and could maybe have had a larger part in the end since she’d spent the whole book wanting to find him. It felt a little anticlimactic.
However, I did really enjoy this book! And can I just say...
LOGAN AND CADE 😍
SPOILERS AHEAD
So where do I start? I didn’t come into reading this book with any preconceptions but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Anything with vampires, angels or werewolves is totally up my alley, and the fact that this book has them all has just made my life!
The only qualms I’ve had was that sometimes I forgot who Eli was, he wasn’t a huge part of the story for me, but I do love Ben so 🤷♀️
Also, when I got to 97% and she still hadn’t found her dad I was a little worried, their meeting felt slightly rushed and could maybe have had a larger part in the end since she’d spent the whole book wanting to find him. It felt a little anticlimactic.
However, I did really enjoy this book! And can I just say...
LOGAN AND CADE 😍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2022
First thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.
For to long, they're been a war going on between the vampires and the angels. When she was only a child, Logan was separated from her father taken from vampires away from her brother and herself. Then, her sibling was also taken away by the foster system. Her entire life, she spend her time researching everything and anything she could about the vampires who taken her dad, hoping to find him one day.
On the day she find a mute boy, on search of the vamp base, she know it might be her only chance. But this boy, is not a normal human. He's an Izel, a race that have supposed to have been eradicated four years ago,. An hybrid, half-vampire, half-angel. As Logan and Cade travels together, she begins to really care for him despite his vampire heritage and begin to trust him.
I have really like this book.
For to long, they're been a war going on between the vampires and the angels. When she was only a child, Logan was separated from her father taken from vampires away from her brother and herself. Then, her sibling was also taken away by the foster system. Her entire life, she spend her time researching everything and anything she could about the vampires who taken her dad, hoping to find him one day.
On the day she find a mute boy, on search of the vamp base, she know it might be her only chance. But this boy, is not a normal human. He's an Izel, a race that have supposed to have been eradicated four years ago,. An hybrid, half-vampire, half-angel. As Logan and Cade travels together, she begins to really care for him despite his vampire heritage and begin to trust him.
I have really like this book.
March 8, 2021
Una guerra entre ángeles y vampiros! era la guerra que me faltaba por leer!
La verdad esto fue lo principal que me atrajo del libro, esa curiosidad de como seria esta guerra y la verdad no me decepciono me gusto bastante, pero lo que en realidad me gusto es la narración fue fácil y rápido de leer.
Pero lo que mas me llamo la atención fue su portada, me parece divina aunque siento que tiene poco que ver con la historia.
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A war between angels and vampires! it was the war that I had to read!
The truth is that this was the main thing that attracted me to the book, that curiosity about how this war would be and the truth is I was not disappointed I liked it enough, but what I really liked is the narration was easy and quick to read.
But what most caught my attention was its cover, it seems divine to me although I feel it has little to do with history.
La verdad esto fue lo principal que me atrajo del libro, esa curiosidad de como seria esta guerra y la verdad no me decepciono me gusto bastante, pero lo que en realidad me gusto es la narración fue fácil y rápido de leer.
Pero lo que mas me llamo la atención fue su portada, me parece divina aunque siento que tiene poco que ver con la historia.
----------------------------------------------------------
A war between angels and vampires! it was the war that I had to read!
The truth is that this was the main thing that attracted me to the book, that curiosity about how this war would be and the truth is I was not disappointed I liked it enough, but what I really liked is the narration was easy and quick to read.
But what most caught my attention was its cover, it seems divine to me although I feel it has little to do with history.
March 8, 2021
I really enjoyed reading Ace of Swords! My favorite dynamic was that of Logan a human teenager and her relationship with the mute half angel/half vampire Cade. Logan is in search of her father who was taken from her by Vampires. On a journey with Cade, learning to communicate with him, Logan must deal with her conflicting feelings regarding vampires, her fear of them but also knowing her father is one of them now - and her growing trust and feelings for Cade who is a half vampire.
Elsewhere in their world - the generations long war between the Vampire and Angel armies might be facing a crossroads - and the world's perception of those two races may not be the truth.
I really enjoyed the relationships portrayed in this book - and the world is unique and imaginative. I'm looking forward to more books from this author!
Elsewhere in their world - the generations long war between the Vampire and Angel armies might be facing a crossroads - and the world's perception of those two races may not be the truth.
I really enjoyed the relationships portrayed in this book - and the world is unique and imaginative. I'm looking forward to more books from this author!
March 8, 2021
ace of swords turned out to be an interesting and entertaining read for me. the time jumps in every chapter made it increasingly difficult for me to follow the story at times, however. moreover, the lack of explanation/history about the war between the vampires and angels, the unexplained ambiguity of the werewolves, the question of “if there are angels, is there God?” all remained unanswered. so, while this was entertaining and action-packed, i felt that i, as a reader, was missing way too much key information to really connect with the story.
March 10, 2021
It started well but after a while it became confusing to keep track of all the characters and the chronological order, even with the help of the date markings it was difficult. I did not contact with any characters, it probably depends on the several perspectives you get. An okay book that could have been better.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
April 3, 2021
Definitely good read. Interesting characters, good plot, easy to follow history.
March 8, 2021
I was sent an EARC of this in exchange of an honest review... I didn’t like it.
I found it so difficult to get into the story. The characters I didn’t like, and I felt like they were a lot younger than they actually are. I feel like there wasn’t enough world building to be able to get into the story enough. I got a little confused with the timeline and I kept forgetting where I was at in the story. It just didn’t work for me.
I found it so difficult to get into the story. The characters I didn’t like, and I felt like they were a lot younger than they actually are. I feel like there wasn’t enough world building to be able to get into the story enough. I got a little confused with the timeline and I kept forgetting where I was at in the story. It just didn’t work for me.
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