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Runebreaker #1
Girl of Bone and Ivy
Elora Han doesn't believe in faeries. That doesn't stop her reading about them, or writing wild fantasy novels during her day job in a small NYC bookstore. Then suddenly, she finds herself in the middle of a strange world, with no damn phone reception and, worse, no way home. Until now, being adopted was the hardest thing she had to deal with, and the accompanying knowledge that nobody had a clue where she'd come from. When brothers Elladan and Aerin find her wandering around the forest after dark, they take her back to their home for the night before she can learn of the dangers that lurk between the trees. They're beautiful and dangerous and seem like they've stepped straight out of one of Elora's books, and though she's wary, they promise to help her. Except the brothers have no idea how she got there, either, and refuse to let her leave until they figure it out. They insist that she, and her world, are not what they seem. At first, she resents them for trapping her, but soon, she discovers that this strange land feels more like home than New York ever did. He feels like home. But she's filled with questions, and no one seems to want to give her any answers. Caught between a centuries old prophecy that seemed to foretell her arrival and a war she wants nothing to do with, Elora must make her choice: to embrace the strange new powers she’s spent her whole life writing about, or to get out while she can and let her newfound home, and the man she's damn near fallen for, burn.
414 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 16, 2021
*ARC Review*
Girl of Bone and Ivy is a nerve-racking, fast-paced, and immersive New Adult Fantasy book. The first of the upcoming Runebreaker Trilogy. The story follows young writer Elora Han and her journey to discovering who she is after finding herself stuck in a world painted like words she has spent her life writing. There, she meets two brothers who bring her one step closer to unraveling the truth of her past and the uncertainty of her future.
It is safe to say this book exceeded my expectations, leaving me on edge with its diverse characters, alluring magic system, and character dynamics. It had all the aspects of a fantasy book a reader would need to be consumed by the world, from the unexpected twists, the engaging plot, and of course, the intense spice. The descriptions and imagery were beyond vivid and mind-consuming. Although the beginning of the book was a little slower than expected, it eventually picked up to a point I couldn't put the book down for even a second without having withdrawals. The arrogant side remarks, the friendships, the romance, and the jaw-dropping turns, established the grounds for what can only I can only describe as a captivating fantasy world.
The mental health representation in this book blew me away. Scarlet and Damien focused on showing how Elora's anxiety affects her everyday life, and it shows. It was relevant, and it was real. Among the other forms of representation, from racially diverse to LGBTQ+, the themes effectively correlated and created a simple and relatable story with relatable characters. It was almost natural to connect to at least one character, if not multiple, whether it be through representation or their personas alone.
Girl of Bone and Ivy is just the beginning and start of what seems to be an incredible series. I'd recommend this book without hesitation because WOWZA, this is what I consider re-read material. I look forward to seeing what the next book has in store for us. These authors have a lot of potential for this story, and I can't wait to see them explore all the possibilities as they continue.
Girl of Bone and Ivy is a nerve-racking, fast-paced, and immersive New Adult Fantasy book. The first of the upcoming Runebreaker Trilogy. The story follows young writer Elora Han and her journey to discovering who she is after finding herself stuck in a world painted like words she has spent her life writing. There, she meets two brothers who bring her one step closer to unraveling the truth of her past and the uncertainty of her future.
It is safe to say this book exceeded my expectations, leaving me on edge with its diverse characters, alluring magic system, and character dynamics. It had all the aspects of a fantasy book a reader would need to be consumed by the world, from the unexpected twists, the engaging plot, and of course, the intense spice. The descriptions and imagery were beyond vivid and mind-consuming. Although the beginning of the book was a little slower than expected, it eventually picked up to a point I couldn't put the book down for even a second without having withdrawals. The arrogant side remarks, the friendships, the romance, and the jaw-dropping turns, established the grounds for what can only I can only describe as a captivating fantasy world.
The mental health representation in this book blew me away. Scarlet and Damien focused on showing how Elora's anxiety affects her everyday life, and it shows. It was relevant, and it was real. Among the other forms of representation, from racially diverse to LGBTQ+, the themes effectively correlated and created a simple and relatable story with relatable characters. It was almost natural to connect to at least one character, if not multiple, whether it be through representation or their personas alone.
Girl of Bone and Ivy is just the beginning and start of what seems to be an incredible series. I'd recommend this book without hesitation because WOWZA, this is what I consider re-read material. I look forward to seeing what the next book has in store for us. These authors have a lot of potential for this story, and I can't wait to see them explore all the possibilities as they continue.
September 23, 2021
**I received an ARC copy for my honest opinion**
This book gets 4.5 (I rounded up because they deserve it!).
The world building was simply AMAZING. I’m here for it. You can see that the authors did their research. They also love what they’re doing!
But the REAL showstopper of this book is Elora. Her anxiety felt real. Her confusion felt real. She was REAL. It was so good. I can’t even with how much I loved how authentic she was. Just… YES.
I loved all the representation in the book too. So amazing. More books need to have POC, non-binary, and non-Hetero characters.
There are two things I’d like to see in book 2 to bring this to a 5 star (and 1 personal preference thing that can’t be adjusted in book 2 simply because of timing which didn’t impact my rating but it’s simply a note for the authors):
1) consistency in which English is used. I could tell which author wrote which part because it switched between British and American English. Worse though, for my brain this switch immediately pulled me out of being immersed in the book. I genuinely don’t care which they use, but they need to make sure during the editing process that they use only one consistently.
2) I realize that Elora doesn’t have a firm grasp on the magic system of the world, but the explanations are a touch convoluted. I’m not 100% sure I know the differences between rune casting, rune carving, and Eolas. I’d love to see the confusion remain with Elora since she’s still coming to terms with everything but a more detailed and thorough understanding from Aerin’s POV in book 2 since he’s supposed to know quite a bit about it.
3) the way Aerin felt when they eventually went to his POV felt…awkward. Almost forced? I think that’s mostly because you don’t ever see him or feel that tension when you’re in Elora’s POV. I would have loved to have caught glimpses of his thoughts before (just to help heighten the tension) or even just have had Elora interact with him more so things weren’t so sudden when Aerin’s POV comes in.
Points 1 & 2 above played into my rating. Point 3 (for me) didn’t detract from the story, but if it had been included would have made this book simply out of this world amazing.
I need the next book and I need it now.
This book gets 4.5 (I rounded up because they deserve it!).
The world building was simply AMAZING. I’m here for it. You can see that the authors did their research. They also love what they’re doing!
But the REAL showstopper of this book is Elora. Her anxiety felt real. Her confusion felt real. She was REAL. It was so good. I can’t even with how much I loved how authentic she was. Just… YES.
I loved all the representation in the book too. So amazing. More books need to have POC, non-binary, and non-Hetero characters.
There are two things I’d like to see in book 2 to bring this to a 5 star (and 1 personal preference thing that can’t be adjusted in book 2 simply because of timing which didn’t impact my rating but it’s simply a note for the authors):
1) consistency in which English is used. I could tell which author wrote which part because it switched between British and American English. Worse though, for my brain this switch immediately pulled me out of being immersed in the book. I genuinely don’t care which they use, but they need to make sure during the editing process that they use only one consistently.
2) I realize that Elora doesn’t have a firm grasp on the magic system of the world, but the explanations are a touch convoluted. I’m not 100% sure I know the differences between rune casting, rune carving, and Eolas. I’d love to see the confusion remain with Elora since she’s still coming to terms with everything but a more detailed and thorough understanding from Aerin’s POV in book 2 since he’s supposed to know quite a bit about it.
3) the way Aerin felt when they eventually went to his POV felt…awkward. Almost forced? I think that’s mostly because you don’t ever see him or feel that tension when you’re in Elora’s POV. I would have loved to have caught glimpses of his thoughts before (just to help heighten the tension) or even just have had Elora interact with him more so things weren’t so sudden when Aerin’s POV comes in.
Points 1 & 2 above played into my rating. Point 3 (for me) didn’t detract from the story, but if it had been included would have made this book simply out of this world amazing.
I need the next book and I need it now.
Read
October 20, 2023This book has excellent world building and the magic system WOW. It was so well thought out to all the small details and the descriptions of every aspect were so thorough I felt like I could see it happening before my very eyes.
Another aspect I really like about this story is that Elora is such an normal/average main character for the most part, she was just very relatable. I also appreciated the representation for panic disorder and anxiety. Plus, there was great bi rep for multiple characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the second in the series!
* I received an ARC of this book for review and was very impressed.
Another aspect I really like about this story is that Elora is such an normal/average main character for the most part, she was just very relatable. I also appreciated the representation for panic disorder and anxiety. Plus, there was great bi rep for multiple characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the second in the series!
* I received an ARC of this book for review and was very impressed.
October 31, 2021
First of all let me just say that I am thoroughly impressed with the world building of this book! You can really see that Scarlett & Damien thoroughly did their research!!
Now, let's talk about Elora. Oh my sweet Elora!! Gosh I flipping love her!! There are always characters that I can relate to but everything about Elora was so real! From her view of everything to her reactions to everything!! Let's face it, if we were in Elora's shoes we would probably go through the denial phase to the this can't be real and I must be dreaming phase to the freak out phase all before we accept the situation!!
Now, as much as I love Elora, I really loved Raewyn!! Lord her personality is just everything!!! I just had to throw this out there. Lol
I will say that although I was thoroughly impressed with the world building and everything, I didn't fully understand the magic system but that might just be me since it's a bit new to me. I'll definitely be looking more into how rune casting magic works to understand more but all in all I loved this book and can't wait for book 2! Hopefully by the time book 2 is released I'll have a better understanding of how the magic system of this world works!
Can we take a minute to talk about and appreciate the spice in this book?! Because holy moly was the spice super spicy!!! I am blown away by the fact that some of these scenes were written by a man!!! It's not often that you come across a male author who writes spice just as well as female authors do so Damien definitely deserves some kind of award for the awesome work he did in this book!!
I don't come across a lot of books that represent the LGBTQ+ community often but Scarlett & Damien did such a great job with this!!
God, these authors are all gonna kill me with these cliffhangers!!! The cliffhanger for this book has me dying to find out what happens next!! Why did you do this to me?!?!?! 😩
Well, all in all this book was a great read and I can't wait to see how book 2 will play out! I have high expectations for the development of book 2 and am super excited for it!!
🌟 Ratings: 🌟
Story - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Romance - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Now, let's talk about Elora. Oh my sweet Elora!! Gosh I flipping love her!! There are always characters that I can relate to but everything about Elora was so real! From her view of everything to her reactions to everything!! Let's face it, if we were in Elora's shoes we would probably go through the denial phase to the this can't be real and I must be dreaming phase to the freak out phase all before we accept the situation!!
Now, as much as I love Elora, I really loved Raewyn!! Lord her personality is just everything!!! I just had to throw this out there. Lol
I will say that although I was thoroughly impressed with the world building and everything, I didn't fully understand the magic system but that might just be me since it's a bit new to me. I'll definitely be looking more into how rune casting magic works to understand more but all in all I loved this book and can't wait for book 2! Hopefully by the time book 2 is released I'll have a better understanding of how the magic system of this world works!
Can we take a minute to talk about and appreciate the spice in this book?! Because holy moly was the spice super spicy!!! I am blown away by the fact that some of these scenes were written by a man!!! It's not often that you come across a male author who writes spice just as well as female authors do so Damien definitely deserves some kind of award for the awesome work he did in this book!!
I don't come across a lot of books that represent the LGBTQ+ community often but Scarlett & Damien did such a great job with this!!
God, these authors are all gonna kill me with these cliffhangers!!! The cliffhanger for this book has me dying to find out what happens next!! Why did you do this to me?!?!?! 😩
Well, all in all this book was a great read and I can't wait to see how book 2 will play out! I have high expectations for the development of book 2 and am super excited for it!!
🌟 Ratings: 🌟
Story - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Romance - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
September 17, 2021
HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO GIRL OF BONE AND IVY: BOOK 1
*I was very kindly given an ARC copy of this book by the authors in exchange for an honest review.*
Girl of Bone and Ivy has been one of my most anticipated books of 2021 ever since it was announced on Tiktok. The premise was one that instantly drew me in - a New Yorkian Elora getting sucked into a book only to find out the world and its characters are real and closer to home than she may think...
The world-building of this world was insane - deep, fleshed out and left the world open for so much more to happen beyond the plot of this book. I especially liked hearing about Aine and Nox. Everything felt fully authentic to me when it came to the world-building and you could tell the effort that the authors put into it. I also liked that some pieces were pulled from various lore. On the same thread, the diversity was great. Really refreshing in a fae book.
This book definitely subverted expectations and had you constantly wondering what was going to happen next. I especially liked one specific shift that happened around the 20% mark - it was a really interesting twist to the story! What I really loved about this book was that you could feel how much fun the authors were having writing it. The characters were all different and fun and I really liked that it was multiple POV. I'm a sucker for that!
The SPICE was definitely worth the wait! I loved the semi-slow burn with the two love interests as it was worth the wait when the spice started. I'm really interested to see where this series goes and will be pre-ordering the next one. Well done, debut authors Damien Kalan and Scarlet King!
Fans of ACOTAR, The Enchantment of Ravens and The Deal with the Elf King will love this book.
*I was very kindly given an ARC copy of this book by the authors in exchange for an honest review.*
Girl of Bone and Ivy has been one of my most anticipated books of 2021 ever since it was announced on Tiktok. The premise was one that instantly drew me in - a New Yorkian Elora getting sucked into a book only to find out the world and its characters are real and closer to home than she may think...
The world-building of this world was insane - deep, fleshed out and left the world open for so much more to happen beyond the plot of this book. I especially liked hearing about Aine and Nox. Everything felt fully authentic to me when it came to the world-building and you could tell the effort that the authors put into it. I also liked that some pieces were pulled from various lore. On the same thread, the diversity was great. Really refreshing in a fae book.
This book definitely subverted expectations and had you constantly wondering what was going to happen next. I especially liked one specific shift that happened around the 20% mark - it was a really interesting twist to the story! What I really loved about this book was that you could feel how much fun the authors were having writing it. The characters were all different and fun and I really liked that it was multiple POV. I'm a sucker for that!
The SPICE was definitely worth the wait! I loved the semi-slow burn with the two love interests as it was worth the wait when the spice started. I'm really interested to see where this series goes and will be pre-ordering the next one. Well done, debut authors Damien Kalan and Scarlet King!
Fans of ACOTAR, The Enchantment of Ravens and The Deal with the Elf King will love this book.
October 16, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. A debut novel from joint authors Damien Kalan and Scarlet King which includes everything you could possibly want from a good new adult fantasy book; a lost protagonist in a new world, fae, prophecies, love and lust and battle and action.
A Girl of Bone and Ivy has beautiful world creation and lore descriptions which is easy to keep up with (I’m looking at you high fantasy novels 👀). As an avid fantasy reader there were new elements of the genre that I’ve not read before making the book distinguished from others. The story is fast paced and keeps you hooked, and from a purely practical point of view the chapter lengths are perfect for those who can only read in short bursts and hate stopping half way through a chapter (aka me 🙋🏻♀️).
Another stand out in this book is the LGBTQ+ representation amongst characters within the story which also makes for a more inclusive and immersive read.
I read the kindle version and there are a few spelling/editing errors amongst the book, but I was so invested in the story line that they made little to no impact.
I highly recommend reading this book and found it to be an enjoyable and addictive story. I can’t wait for the next instalment ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Girl of Bone and Ivy has beautiful world creation and lore descriptions which is easy to keep up with (I’m looking at you high fantasy novels 👀). As an avid fantasy reader there were new elements of the genre that I’ve not read before making the book distinguished from others. The story is fast paced and keeps you hooked, and from a purely practical point of view the chapter lengths are perfect for those who can only read in short bursts and hate stopping half way through a chapter (aka me 🙋🏻♀️).
Another stand out in this book is the LGBTQ+ representation amongst characters within the story which also makes for a more inclusive and immersive read.
I read the kindle version and there are a few spelling/editing errors amongst the book, but I was so invested in the story line that they made little to no impact.
I highly recommend reading this book and found it to be an enjoyable and addictive story. I can’t wait for the next instalment ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 18, 2021
ARC Review
If you’re looking for an immersive fantasy book, with diverse characters and a unique voice and plot, that will leave you dying to read more, then this is the book for you! Scarlet & Damien write at the beginning of this book that it is for anyone who has ever wanted to escape into a fantasy world and leading on from that I can wholeheartedly say that this book delivers on that promise.
‘Girl of Bone and Ivy’ follows Elora Han, as she is transported away from the life she has known in New York to a completely new world, thrown into a world filled with magic, prophecy, and help from mysterious strangers. It’s important to note that this is a new adult book and so it does contain adult content, as well as some triggering content so please be mindful and check TW before reading (although the authors helpfully list any possible triggers at the start of the book, and so you can be fully aware before diving in).
I was so impressed with this as the first book of a series, and when I say I was fully immersed, I read this book in just over a day because I couldn’t stop. It had some of my favourite tropes that I love to see within a fantasy world that were used effectively, whilst having some unique plot points that I had never seen in a fantasy book before and which also worked so well for me.
I feel like it’s natural to draw comparisons with any Fae books to ACOTAR, however ‘Girl of Bone & Ivy’ really gave off its own unique voice, with diverse characters and its own distinctive plotting. However, it goes without saying that if you enjoy books like ACOTAR then this book will certainly be one for you.
There was a fantastic build up with the characterisation that left me with that feeling where you get attached to the characters that you’re reading about. Elora was a fantastic and realistic MC, I loved that she had her own struggles transcending those of her situation that allowed her to provide a great narrative to the story. Additionally, the dual perspective used within the book was effective in allowing us to fully explore the plotline and world within. The story moved on at a fantastic pace, with ample settings and imagery to add to that immersive feeling and allowed strong visualisations of the settings used within the book.
The book has left me itching to read book two already, which for me is the perfect marker for an opening book to a series. Therefore, if you’re looking for an immersive, diverse and gripping story, then you should definitely get your hands on this.
If you’re looking for an immersive fantasy book, with diverse characters and a unique voice and plot, that will leave you dying to read more, then this is the book for you! Scarlet & Damien write at the beginning of this book that it is for anyone who has ever wanted to escape into a fantasy world and leading on from that I can wholeheartedly say that this book delivers on that promise.
‘Girl of Bone and Ivy’ follows Elora Han, as she is transported away from the life she has known in New York to a completely new world, thrown into a world filled with magic, prophecy, and help from mysterious strangers. It’s important to note that this is a new adult book and so it does contain adult content, as well as some triggering content so please be mindful and check TW before reading (although the authors helpfully list any possible triggers at the start of the book, and so you can be fully aware before diving in).
I was so impressed with this as the first book of a series, and when I say I was fully immersed, I read this book in just over a day because I couldn’t stop. It had some of my favourite tropes that I love to see within a fantasy world that were used effectively, whilst having some unique plot points that I had never seen in a fantasy book before and which also worked so well for me.
I feel like it’s natural to draw comparisons with any Fae books to ACOTAR, however ‘Girl of Bone & Ivy’ really gave off its own unique voice, with diverse characters and its own distinctive plotting. However, it goes without saying that if you enjoy books like ACOTAR then this book will certainly be one for you.
There was a fantastic build up with the characterisation that left me with that feeling where you get attached to the characters that you’re reading about. Elora was a fantastic and realistic MC, I loved that she had her own struggles transcending those of her situation that allowed her to provide a great narrative to the story. Additionally, the dual perspective used within the book was effective in allowing us to fully explore the plotline and world within. The story moved on at a fantastic pace, with ample settings and imagery to add to that immersive feeling and allowed strong visualisations of the settings used within the book.
The book has left me itching to read book two already, which for me is the perfect marker for an opening book to a series. Therefore, if you’re looking for an immersive, diverse and gripping story, then you should definitely get your hands on this.
January 10, 2022
*ARC REVIEW*
Elora Han had a million ideas for stories in her head and she seems to be stuck working in a New York used bookshop that she has worked in since college. But one day she is transported into another world where the Fae existed and she has been taken back to the royal palace by two Fae princes.
What I liked about the story is the character development that Elora goes through in this book, her response to landing in a dangerous world is so relatable but as more is revealed later on, you can see how she grows from her fear into someone stronger and braver.
Without giving too much away the relationships Elora has with other characters are wild and would keep you guessing what would happen to those relationships until the last third of the book.
Girl of Bone and Ivy really excels in a way that many previous books about the Fae haven’t in its world-building and the creation of the magic system. Magic is so integral to this story, it was nice to read a well-developed system and history of magic in this genre.
My only gripe is that the story follows a predictable arc, a chosen one with immense magical powers, the fight against a power-hungry king. I personally felt a bit underwhelmed but I believe this is a good book for you if you like that kind of tropes.
However the book has good bisexual representation, it’s just accepted and not fetishized or denied as a phase. This is very much appreciated. Elora is also half Korean and it's a reasonable representation, as Elora has never been portrayed as a caricature for her ethnicity but still acknowledged for her heritage and her cultural links.
Before reading, I strongly advise people to check the content warnings like the following features in the book: Characters suffering from anxiety, gaslighting, emotional abuse, violence, descriptive sex scenes.
Elora Han had a million ideas for stories in her head and she seems to be stuck working in a New York used bookshop that she has worked in since college. But one day she is transported into another world where the Fae existed and she has been taken back to the royal palace by two Fae princes.
What I liked about the story is the character development that Elora goes through in this book, her response to landing in a dangerous world is so relatable but as more is revealed later on, you can see how she grows from her fear into someone stronger and braver.
Without giving too much away the relationships Elora has with other characters are wild and would keep you guessing what would happen to those relationships until the last third of the book.
Girl of Bone and Ivy really excels in a way that many previous books about the Fae haven’t in its world-building and the creation of the magic system. Magic is so integral to this story, it was nice to read a well-developed system and history of magic in this genre.
My only gripe is that the story follows a predictable arc, a chosen one with immense magical powers, the fight against a power-hungry king. I personally felt a bit underwhelmed but I believe this is a good book for you if you like that kind of tropes.
However the book has good bisexual representation, it’s just accepted and not fetishized or denied as a phase. This is very much appreciated. Elora is also half Korean and it's a reasonable representation, as Elora has never been portrayed as a caricature for her ethnicity but still acknowledged for her heritage and her cultural links.
Before reading, I strongly advise people to check the content warnings like the following features in the book: Characters suffering from anxiety, gaslighting, emotional abuse, violence, descriptive sex scenes.
September 21, 2021
I found these authors via TikTok—one of their more viral videos along the line of “Who says men can’t write spice?” And showed a scene to back it up. That alone led me to their email list; I never imagined I would get early access in order to review it. I would like to thank the authors for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
The first line really hooked me: “Hiding the bodies was easier than they thought.” Simple and efficient—they received and understood the assignment. As far as fantasy books go, this one has all of the right elements. I found the magic system complex and intriguing, spice just enough to tease, fast paced enough that it was not just another boring fantasy read, and put out a great representation of mental health and sexuality.
Overall I found this an entertaining fantasy for a one-off read. I recommend this if you are a fan of high fantasy with some low fantasy elements.
The first line really hooked me: “Hiding the bodies was easier than they thought.” Simple and efficient—they received and understood the assignment. As far as fantasy books go, this one has all of the right elements. I found the magic system complex and intriguing, spice just enough to tease, fast paced enough that it was not just another boring fantasy read, and put out a great representation of mental health and sexuality.
Overall I found this an entertaining fantasy for a one-off read. I recommend this if you are a fan of high fantasy with some low fantasy elements.
September 25, 2021
Girl of Bone and Ivy is an interesting book for readers who enjoy all things Fae. It's more a Holly Black syle book, with darker themes and undercurrents running throughout. There is a content warning at the front of the book, and I advise readers to be aware of that before reading the story.
That being said, I did enjoy reading the book. The hard magic system in place is an entertaining take of Fae abilities. The story is filled with twists and turns, and by the end, you have no idea what will happen to the characters next.
If you're looking for a Fantasy read with spice and LGBTQ representation, this book is for you.
That being said, I did enjoy reading the book. The hard magic system in place is an entertaining take of Fae abilities. The story is filled with twists and turns, and by the end, you have no idea what will happen to the characters next.
If you're looking for a Fantasy read with spice and LGBTQ representation, this book is for you.
September 16, 2021
Amazing start to what is sure to be an epic and exciting series!
Girl of Bone and Ivy is a fantasy romance book, with a killer slow burn in the best way possible. There's characters you'll love to hate, and characters you'll just plain LOVE.
I really really enjoyed the balance between modern life and lore, as well as the action scenes! And the spicy scenes...YASS. Elora is a realistic character, and one a lot of people will see themselves in.
Kalan and King are definitely a duo to watch, and I absolutely will have the next book on my TBR!!
Girl of Bone and Ivy is a fantasy romance book, with a killer slow burn in the best way possible. There's characters you'll love to hate, and characters you'll just plain LOVE.
I really really enjoyed the balance between modern life and lore, as well as the action scenes! And the spicy scenes...YASS. Elora is a realistic character, and one a lot of people will see themselves in.
Kalan and King are definitely a duo to watch, and I absolutely will have the next book on my TBR!!
September 18, 2021
I received a copy of this book as an ARC for my honest review.
I saw this book first on TikTok, and knew I would love it. The world building in this book is the best I’ve read in a while. The set up of the world, and characters for this series is great. There’s a great story just in this book but also sets up for the rest of the series.
The characters grow and change and the plot twists of the love interest are just wow! Elora has struggles and deals with them but also learns her own strength.
I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
I saw this book first on TikTok, and knew I would love it. The world building in this book is the best I’ve read in a while. The set up of the world, and characters for this series is great. There’s a great story just in this book but also sets up for the rest of the series.
The characters grow and change and the plot twists of the love interest are just wow! Elora has struggles and deals with them but also learns her own strength.
I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
October 8, 2021
I give the storyline 3 stars for being interesting but not original. The 2 star rating is for the poor writing. It felt like a first draft from a high school student in their creative writing class. Also, they have a trigger warning for graphic sex and I’d give this a 2 chili pepper spice rating at most (and it’s very vanilla). I thought it was weird that they agreed to a safe word and then had super basic sex.
October 21, 2021
4.5 stars! I was so excited to read the final copy of this book after beta reading it for my friends. A fantasy book with bisexual representation and POC is wonderful, and Kalan and King write it so well! I love Aerin (I need him) and the relationship between Elora and Aerin is cute, fun to read, and spicy! SO good! I can't wait to read the next book :)
October 1, 2021
Oh my god i wish i knew it wasn’t a stand alone. Such a dramatic ending and done so well.
December 12, 2021
Modern girl falls into a Fae world is not my usual cup of tea, but this BOOK! The first 70ish pages were slow and had me thinking I knew everything, then it all changed in the most brilliant way and instantly hooked me. Slow burn tension is THICK and the spice is amazing, character development for not only the MC but 'him' as well, both conquered some serious internal demons. Sexuality and mental health representation is well written, looking forward to more.
February 14, 2022
ARC Review
Wow. Did not know what I was expecting but it wasn't this. Chef's kiss* world building- down to the little details and has endless possibilities. Excellent characters and development I could get behind and SPICE that was out of this world amazing (and apparently written by a male author)! Writing was well paced and magically descriptive. This fantasy novel had it all. It filled all my nooks and crannies in what I want in a fantasy novel with a few amazing breaks in the genre. Characters are racially/ethnically diverse, neuro-diverse, and LGBTQ+, which the genre absolutely needs more of. I have never seen anxiety represented this way before and it was very very well done.
This book grabbed me- I finished it in 24 hours and I was honored to be an advanced reader. This book is 100% worth the read.
Hat tipped to this writing duo. Can't wait for the next one.
Wow. Did not know what I was expecting but it wasn't this. Chef's kiss* world building- down to the little details and has endless possibilities. Excellent characters and development I could get behind and SPICE that was out of this world amazing (and apparently written by a male author)! Writing was well paced and magically descriptive. This fantasy novel had it all. It filled all my nooks and crannies in what I want in a fantasy novel with a few amazing breaks in the genre. Characters are racially/ethnically diverse, neuro-diverse, and LGBTQ+, which the genre absolutely needs more of. I have never seen anxiety represented this way before and it was very very well done.
This book grabbed me- I finished it in 24 hours and I was honored to be an advanced reader. This book is 100% worth the read.
Hat tipped to this writing duo. Can't wait for the next one.
September 14, 2021
ARC review:
I loved this story and the twists and turns, it was very intricate and well thought out. It is a Fantasy with a great magic system (and yes spice!). The representation was great and well done (it wasn’t just added for adding sake).
I believe most will throughly enjoy this story and fall hard for the MCs and their struggles.
Personally I didn’t enjoy the writing style which is why I struggled to get through the story although there was bursts where I suddenly was gripped but then it lost me again, I think I had issues in the beginning with continuity and it didn’t immerse me like I hoped, but again that is just me, I know this will be different for a lot of others.
Overall a great start to the beginning of a series!
I loved this story and the twists and turns, it was very intricate and well thought out. It is a Fantasy with a great magic system (and yes spice!). The representation was great and well done (it wasn’t just added for adding sake).
I believe most will throughly enjoy this story and fall hard for the MCs and their struggles.
Personally I didn’t enjoy the writing style which is why I struggled to get through the story although there was bursts where I suddenly was gripped but then it lost me again, I think I had issues in the beginning with continuity and it didn’t immerse me like I hoped, but again that is just me, I know this will be different for a lot of others.
Overall a great start to the beginning of a series!
November 10, 2021
Scarlet and Damien really did an fantastic job.
Plant loving book reader/writer Elora finds herself in another world like she writes about. Learns about runecasting, runecaeving and about her true self.
The authors really did their research on the magic aspect. I was immediately drawn in. Her ignorance of the magic made sense, I liked how they explained the magic through the books so we learned as Elora did.
Elora would be my bff. I love how she's real person, her anxiety is very much apart of who she is. We all can all relate to that.
The ending got me😳
If this is just the beginning I cannot imagine what is coming next.
Definitely one I will recommend to everyone!
Plant loving book reader/writer Elora finds herself in another world like she writes about. Learns about runecasting, runecaeving and about her true self.
The authors really did their research on the magic aspect. I was immediately drawn in. Her ignorance of the magic made sense, I liked how they explained the magic through the books so we learned as Elora did.
Elora would be my bff. I love how she's real person, her anxiety is very much apart of who she is. We all can all relate to that.
The ending got me😳
If this is just the beginning I cannot imagine what is coming next.
Definitely one I will recommend to everyone!
Read
July 21, 2022I dnf’d it very quickly. I can’t with the writing style
September 11, 2022
This should have stayed on whatever fanfiction site it was dredged up from
January 24, 2024
Such an excellent book like I’ve literally been on a reading slump for a year and then this book comes along and i finish it within days. It has:
- Descriptive and in-depth world building and it also stays true to popular myths and beliefs about the fae
- Lovable characters that are complex and relatable
- Lots of spice but at the same time it doesn’t stray away from the actual plot of the story which I enjoy since a lot of books tend to focus more on the plot or the spice but I think this has a wonderful and fair amount.
I would give it 5 stars if then second book comes out. I’m super invested in the story and I want to know what happens next. I think this cliff hanger is going to linger in my mind for weeks. Please release the next one even if it’s unedited😭🙏 I need it because this is one of the best books I’ve read recently
- Descriptive and in-depth world building and it also stays true to popular myths and beliefs about the fae
- Lovable characters that are complex and relatable
- Lots of spice but at the same time it doesn’t stray away from the actual plot of the story which I enjoy since a lot of books tend to focus more on the plot or the spice but I think this has a wonderful and fair amount.
I would give it 5 stars if then second book comes out. I’m super invested in the story and I want to know what happens next. I think this cliff hanger is going to linger in my mind for weeks. Please release the next one even if it’s unedited😭🙏 I need it because this is one of the best books I’ve read recently
May 2, 2026
Modern girl falls into a Fae world is not my usual cup of tea, but this BOOK! The first 70ish pages were slow and had me thinking I knew everything, then it all changed in the most brilliant way and instantly hooked me. Slow burn tension is THICK and the spice is amazing, character development for not only the MC but 'him' as well, both conquered some serious internal demons. Sexuality and mental health representation is well written, looking forward to more.
September 26, 2021
I really wanted to love this book but I couldn't even finish it. The plot made no sense to be honest. I don't think I could even explain this book because I didn't understand it. I got 50% through before I gave up. I think it could be good if the writing was better but it wasn't for me.
May 4, 2022
(I can only rate out of three because I'm bad at objective reviewing: 1 means 'meh, it was fine'. 2 means 'yeah, I enjoyed it', 3 means 'hi thanks I'm now obsessed with this book')
2/3 - absolutely terrible writing/editing(!), but am I obsessed with the story and want to know more? yes.
2/3 - absolutely terrible writing/editing(!), but am I obsessed with the story and want to know more? yes.
June 1, 2022
I tried really hard to finish the book and I felt like it was kind of long winded? It was okay overall but I don't feel like I connected with characters and the last quarter of the book was a bit confusing.
Read
December 15, 2021DNF @ 32%
January 19, 2022
amazing worldbuilding, good spice, bi representation, what more could u want!!!!
March 28, 2023
I liked it even though i started reading a similar book before reading it. I cant wait to read the rest of the series.
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