Literary Quest

For our second Pride Month read, we’re discussing So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens. The evil ruler of the Kingdom of Ere was dethroned and killed by Arek, as was prophesied. Now what? Arek really just wants to confess his love for his best friend Matt, but agrees to take on the role as interim king of Ere until the heir to throne can be found. However, Arek and his friends must pivot their plans when they discover the heir is dead. Not only is Arek bound to his role as king, but he must also find someone to soul bond with him in the next three months, or he will die. None of this was part of the prophecy, and this ever after was not what any of them expected. Join us this week!

This week, we’re discussing Ruling Sikthand by Victoria Aveline. As political tensions on Clecania rise, King Sikthand must make difficult decisions. One of the most difficult decisions he has had to make yet is figuring out what to do with Sophia, the human he planned to keep his distance from but who he is endlessly drawn to. Despite Sophia’s best escape attempts, she ends up the hostage of King Sikthand, the grumpy, ridiculously hot ruler of Vrulatica. While they begin with a rough start, a shift in the political landscape in Tremanta gives them little choice but to work together. Danger is around every corner though. As the threat to both of their lives rises, will they be able to resist the rising tension between them? Join us this week!

Rooksgrave Manor, a house of ill repute, caters to a certain kind of clientele…monsters. While Esther Reed seeks employment from it’s keeper, Magdalena Mortimer, with the prospect of lots of sexy encounters and stability in mind, she gains so much more than expected from the men who become her lovers.

This episode we discuss The Lightning Thief, book one in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson is a 12 year old boy who is considered "trouble". When he gets kicked out of his most recent school, he discovers camp half-blood. While he is there he learns that the Greek gods and goddesses are real. He is given a quest, find and return Zeus' lightning bolt and prevent war between the gods. Will Percy be able to complete his quest? Or will the monsters determined to kill him, make it impossible?

This week, we’re discussing The Atlas Paradox, the second installment in the Atlas series by Olivie Blake. Initiation to the Society comes with a price, one that each of the magicians in this story will pay in different ways. Attachments that formed in the Atlas Six will be tested—some will deteriorate and new relationships will form but all will ask themselves how far they’ll go to obtain power and knowledge from the world’s greatest library. Join us this week!

In this episode, we discuss Berries and Greed by Lily Mayne! It is the first installment of her series Deep Earth Dating. Beryl is a 35 year old human who has spent most of her life as part of a cult that worships the demiurgus, a species from deep within the Earth. Beryl has never bought into the idea that the demiurgus are somehow gods, but the cult has provided her with safety. One day, a demiurgus named Greid comes to visit, the cult believes he is looking for a mate. However, he is just there to find a roommate. Beryl is interested in the outside world and takes him up on the offer. Slowly, they begin to develop feelings for each other. Will they overcome their differences, or is a relationship between a demiurgus and a human impossible?

This week, we’re discussing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling. Harry Potter, an 11 year old boy, discovers something shocking: magic is real, he’s a wizard and he’s famous in the wizarding world for something he has no memory of. He begins school at Hogwarts, where he makes friends quickly, but also realizes that despite vanquishing the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, as an infant, there are people in his world who would like to see the Dark Lord return, and would do anything to make it happen. Join us this week!

This week we cover the anticipated 3rd book is Sarah J. Mass's Crescent City series - The House of Flame and Shadows. Bryce is in Prythian and is not getting a warm welcome. Meanwhile, Ruhn, Hunt, and Baxian are being tortured by the Asteri. Will Bryce find what she needs in Prythian? Will she and Hunt be reunited or will the Asteri get their way?

This week, we’re discussing Twilight by Stephenie Meyer! Bella Swan thinks moving to Forks, Washington to live with her father, Charlie, is going to be THE WORST. She certainly doesn’t expect to be captivated by her classmate, Edward Cullen, but she soon finds, while living in Forks, the supernatural myths are real. Join us this week!

This episode we discuss Redwall by Brian Jacques! Matthias is a small but mighty mouse at the Redwall Abbey. Even though the abbey is peaceful, the rat Cluny, and his rat army want to take over. When faced with the evil rat, Cluny, will Matthias be able to save his friends?

This week, we’re discussing Chasm by Stacey McEwan. The start of this book sees Dawsyn Sabar, former resident of the Ledge and attempted savior of the Ledge folk, awaiting her end as prisoner of the queen’s of Terrsaw, mourning the loss of her lover and friend Ryon, while also struggling with her feelings of anger and betrayal after his actions at the end of the previous book. A harrowing rescue attempt saves Dawsyn from execution and she works with her friends, new and old, to secure a future for the people of the Ledge and rebuild broke relationships. Join us this week! **CW: discussions of r@pe at approximately 54:35 in the recording.

It's our holiday episode! We're discussing Holly Jolly Mess by C.M. Nascosta. This takes place in the same universe as Morning Glory Milking Farm. We get to meet some new couples. Ava and Kenta have a great relationship. However, they need to have an important conversation soon. Charlie is new to town and runs into Tris at the grocery store. They have instant chemistry, but is Charlie ready to move on after her previous relationship?

This week we’re discussing Craving in His Blood, the second installment in the Brides of Kylorr series by Zoey Draven. Kythel, ruler of Erzos, is dedicated to serving his people, and that duty has him planning an engagement that will secure him access to precious metal, guaranteeing a supply of weapons for his people in the oncoming war. However, his plans get sidetracked when he meets Millie Seren, a mysterious human whose blood calls to him. Pursuing her jeopardizes all of his carefully laid plans, but he cannot seem to resist being near her. Will he choose duty or love?

This week, we discuss A Fire in the Flesh by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The third installment of the Fire in the Flesh series sees our main characters, Sera and Nyktos, grapple with being held captive by Kolis, the false primal of life, who is convinced that Sera is his reincarnated love, Sotoria. Sera works to arrange Nyktos’s freedom and convince Kolis that she could love him eventually, all while delaying the inevitable: her ascension, and likely, her death. But first, she has to get free. Join us this week!

Join us this week for The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. When six brilliant magicians are approached to be candidates for entry into the Alexandrian Society, and granted access to the wealth of knowledge in the library of Alexandria, they all accept, knowing one of them will be eliminated at the end of the year. Developing greater power may come with a great and terrible cost—one they may not be willing to pay.

This week, we’re discussing The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. Oraya has spent her entire life feeling like prey as a human and the adopted daughter of the king of the Nightborn vampires. She has trained for nearly as long to compete in the Kejari, a tournament honoring their goddess Nyaxia, with the intention of winning and gaining a wish granted to the Victor by Nyaxia herself. Oraya’s goal: to be able to share in her father’s power and finally feel safe in a world full of predators. Her plans get a complicated though when she meets Raihn Ashraj, a fellow competitor in the Kejari who offers to ally with her for part of the tournament. By all accounts, he should be her enemy and Oraya should keep her distance, but what alarms her more than staying in a palace with a horde of vampires, who want to kill her, is her growing attraction to the sexy vampire who wants to keep her alive. Join us this week!

This week, we’re discussing Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Violet Sorrengail has not had an easy life. Between being injury prone due to a connective tissue disorder, siblings who were born to be dragon riders, and her mother, the general of Navarre’s armies, Violet just wants to pursue a relatively safe life as a scribe. However, her mother refuses to allow it, forcing her to become a dragon rider and putting her in the path of a number of fellow students who want Violet dead—none more so than Xaden Riorson. Does Violet have what it takes to not just become a rider, but to survive her classmates’ bloodlust?

For our first Pride Month read, we’re discussing Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. For Wallace Price, death is just a beginning. When he is brought to Charon’s Cross, a tea shop and way station for the dead, he meets and befriends several people, including ferryman and proprietor of the tea shop, Hugo, who help him to realize that it’s never to late to develop compassion, empathy, or to be brave. We have previously discussed House in the Cerulean Sea by the same author and were delighted to read another of his books. Happy Pride!

In this episode we discuss Beyond the Highland Mist. Adrienne is hurled back in time to 1513 to be the wife of Hawk, who believes he is marrying someone else. Adrienne has sworn off men but Hawk is determined to win her over. However, forces beyond their control are working against them. Will Adrienne return to 1997 or has she found a new home? Can two people centuries apart fall in love? Find out in this episode of Literary Quest!

For the Throne by Hannah Whitten picks up where the first book in this duology, For the Wolf, ends. (Btw, we discussed For the Wolf last fall with Stacey McEwan—go check it out if you need a refresher!) In her desperate attempt to save her sister, Redarys, from the Wolf, Queen Neve ends up stranded in the Shadowlands with Solmir, one of the original kings who were trapped there, as her only guide in helping Neve figure out how to return to her world. They must work together to figure out how to destroy the Shadowlands and keep the old kings from returning to Neve’s world to regain their former power.

This week, your hosts discuss a book that has spent a lot of time on their TBR - Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. This book follows several characters, Ead, Loth, Tane, and Niclays. The characters must overcome their differences to work together to defeat the Nameless One. Can they overcome their personal, political, and religious differences to save their world? TW: Suicide and off page incest (not detailed).

This week, we're discussing Toughest Deal by Alessa Thorn! This installment of the Mercenaries and Magic series follows Julian Burbank and Altun Baruk, who team up with the Edgeworths to stop Altun's sister, Dee. Julian and Altun are both dominant and demanding in life and in the bedroom, and as the work together to bring Dee down, their connection only grows. We've discussed the other two books in this series, Darkest Night and Sharpest Edge, in previous episodes. Go check them out too!

This week your hosts discuss Desire in His Blood by Zoey Draven. This is the first book in her newest series. Azur is looking for revenge on the Hara family and thinks that marrying the eldest daughter, Gemma, will help him. What he couldn't predict was the chemistry between himself and Gemma. Will Azur be able to put the past aside and let himself love Gemma? Or will the bad blood between their families be too much to overcome?

In this week's episode your hosts discuss A Queen of Ruin by K.F. Breene! This book wraps up Finley and Nyfain's storyline. Finley and Nyfain are finally reunited but now they must deal with the sudden appearance of the old queen while deciding how to take down Dolion for good. Will they take down the demon king? Can Finley restore Nyfain's wings? Or will the old queen try to reclaim power?

This week, your hosts discuss Ledge by Stacey McEwan (@stacebookspace) and are thrilled to have Stacey join us for our discussion of her book.  Dawsyn Sabar has lived a hard, brutal life, surviving the perilous and bitter cold on the ledge, where she and its inhabitants do whatever is necessary to survive, even if that means killing another to live.  On Selection day, Dawsyn is taken by the Glacians, a race winged creatures and long time captors of the Ledge inhabitants, and she embarks on a dangerous journey with a hybrid Glacian named Ryon to understand who she is and how her people ended up on the Ledge.

This week, we’re discussing Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning! MacKayla Lane was just a young woman living her best life, when a devastating phone call has her leaving behind all that she’s ever known to go to Dublin to discover the culprit behind her sister’s death. She quickly learns that her sister Alina was keeping secrets from her. A chance run-in with Barrons, a man who screams danger, gives Mac a clue about a mysterious book that her sister was hunting for, but also puts Mac on Barrons radar. Between discovering that the fae folk are real, putting herself in danger but running into Unseelie monsters and trying to hunt for fae objects of power with Barron’s, Mac is given little choice but to stay close to Barrons, or risk ending up dead while hunting for Alina’s murderer. Join us this week!

In anticipation of the release of Amazon’s Rings of Power, we’re discussing The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and are kicking things off with The Fellowship of the Ring. In the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins found a magic ring in Gollum’s cave, and kept it quietly in the Shire for many years, while the Dark Lord, Sauron, gathered dark forces and power in Mordor. Sauron is ready to make his move, to gain dominion of all Middle Earth. All he needs is the one ring. As he deploys the Nine Wraiths in search of it, Frodo Baggins begins the biggest adventure of his life. He embarks on an epic adventure with a fellowship of 8 other companions, to destroy the magic ring that he inherited from his uncle Bilbo.

This week, your hosts discuss Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop, book 3 in the Black Jewels trilogy. Five years after leaving the twisted kingdom, Daemon SaDiablo has made his way to Kaeleer, where he is quickly enlisted in the service of his brother Lucivar, and taken to the Hall, his father Saetan’s home, where he will serve as official consort to Jaenelle, queen of Ebon Askavi and the Witch. Much has changed since they last saw each other 13 years ago, and Jaenelle and Daemon must learn how to navigate their relationship together. Meanwhile in Terreille, Heketah and Dorothea are scheming to gain control of all of the realms by manipulating Jaenelle’s former family and by kidnapping her chosen family to get her to submit. Jaenelle has one chance to save the realms, but the risks that come with it are enormous. Will it be enough to save the untainted Blood and those she loves? Join us!

This week, your hosts wrap up Pride month with Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert. Helen has spent her entire life under scrutiny in Olympus, and with her father dead and her siblings now the new Zeus and Aphrodite, she is desperate to step out of their shadows. When Zeus announces that Helen will wed the winner of the contest for the next Ares, Helen determines that to live on her own terms, she will have to become Ares. Achilles and Patroclus have been together for years, and Achilles enters the contest to become Ares with Patroclus backing him up to get him that position. However, they’re both drawn to Helen’s beauty and intelligence and when her life is put in danger, they band together to keep her safe, at least until the next challenge. When their attraction rapidly intensifies though, Helen is left wondering if she can really trust them, or embrace a life with them, and still get what she wants.

This week, your hosts discuss Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron. Cinderella has been dead for 200 years, but her legacy lives on in the form of a yearly ball that sees teen girls married off to the men in the kingdom. Sophia struggles with the oppressive traditions of her homeland, and would rather marry her best friend Erin. However, when Sophia chooses to flee the ball, into the forest, rather than marry an abusive suitor, she stumbles across Constance, Cinderella’s last descendant, and Sophia learns the real story of Cinderella’s and her plans for the famous ball. Together, they embark on a mission to end the reign of King Manford, and make Mersailles a kingdom that allows women to choose their own fates.

Happy Pride Month! This month, we’re discussing books featuring LGBTQ characters and are kicking things off with A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske. When Robin Blyth starts his new job, he doesn’t expect to discover that magic is real, and he sure doesn’t expect to get wrapped up in a mysterious plot to find objects of power or to have an excruciating curse placed on him. However, it becomes clear to his counterpart, Edwin Courcey, liaison to the magical assembly, that Robin’s situation is highly suspicious. Together, they work to free Robin of his curse while Edwin investigates the disappearance of a fellow magician and friend. While Robin and Edwin draw closer to each other, the threat to their safety grows larger, and the people seeking to gain more power grow more desperate and dangerous.

In this week's episode your hosts discuss Crown of Chaos, it is the 4th installment of Amelia Hutchins' Legacy of the 9 Realms series. Aria has stolen part of Knox's library and is searching for a way to start her own realm. However, everything is not going as planned. She must deal with betrayal from unexpected sources as well as the threat of Hecate. Surrounded by enemies both known and unknown Aria must navigate her way through the realms if she wants to keep innocent witches safe.

This week, your hosts discuss That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon by Kimberly Lemming. Cin is a spice farmer who just wants to live a simple, peaceful life, tending to her spices and hanging with her friend Brie. Life gets complicated when a demon, Fallon, stumbles into her life and upends everything she and her people know about their goddess Myva. Feelings quickly grow between Cin and Fallon as the work together to free the enslaved demons to unravel Myva’s influence on the human world.

This week, your hosts are discussing Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh. Elena Devereaux has made a reputation for herself as a skilled vampire Hunter, an ability that is enhanced by her superb skills at tracking scents. When a rogue Archangel, Uram, plagues Manhattan, Elena is exactly who Raphael, governing Archangel of New York, wants on his team, tracking the danger down. What starts as a strained working relationship rapidly morphs into something more between Elena and Raphael, but the closer they grow, the more dangerous the circumstances with Uram become.

In this week's episode your hosts discuss Laini Taylor's best selling YA novel -Daughter of Smoke and Bone! Karou has spent her life feeling as though something is missing. She does not know who her parents are and was raised by chimera. She currently runs errands for Brimstone, her father-figure, that often result in dangerous situations. During one errand she runs into a being who makes her feel whole but she soon learns that he is the enemy...

This week, your hosts discuss Sharpest Edge by Alessa Thorn. Silas Edgeworth has admired and been attracted to Isabella from the moment he saw her, but has avoided a romantic relationship with her, believing himself to be too old for her. Isabella is a hacker extraordinaire, who has worked with the Edgeworths since Silas rescued her from human traffickers years ago, and she has carried a torch for Silas for years. Living together in Istanbul while they try to solve the mystery of the Aurora Aurea with Kon and Athena has sparked a romance between Silas and Iz that they can no longer deny, but they also have dangerous foes working against them.

Vicki and Marysa just wanted to say hi from Las Vegas and talk about the books they've been reading!

This week, your hosts discuss A Kingdom of Ruin a K.F. Breene. Finley just wants to lift the curse on her kingdom, ensure her family is safe, and be with her golden dragon, Nyfain. But to do that, she has to surrender herself to the demon king, until she can figure out how to escape. Teamwork makes the dream work though, and if there’s one thing Finley’s got, it’s an incredible ability to pull people together. Join us this week!

This week we discuss the second half of the War of Two Queens. We pick up right after Casteel has been rescued and talk about all the events afterwards. What happens to Kieran with the curse? What will Queen Isbeth do with Maleec's body? Will the joining finally happen? There is discussion of sex as well as cursing in this episode!

This week, your hosts discuss The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The highly anticipated fourth installment of the From Blood and Ash series follows Poppy, our FMC, in her desperation to reunite with and free her love from the Blood Queen’s clutches. War has come to Solis from Atlantia though, and while Poppy makes plans to free her King, she must also get her generals on board with her plans for the rest of the realm. As she works against the Blood Queen, ancient forces begin to stir, and the way forward looks more complicated than ever before. (Description of plot, characters and spoilers is followed by our discussion, which begins at 17:44).

This week, your hosts discuss Using Fejo by Victoria Aveline. Vanessa, one of several humans who were stolen from Earth and taken to Clecania, has not been able to settle into life on a new planet as easily as the other females. She’s still desperate to return to Earth, and she thinks she’s found a way to get there—all she has to do is marry and betray Fejo. Fejo, sexy space pirate, has been used by people for his entire life, and desperately wants to meet someone who will love him for who he is, not just what he can provide for them. When Vanessa elects to marry him, he thinks he’s found someone who finally genuinely cares for him. Little does he know, betrayal is coming his way, and Vanessa despite her best intentions to keep her heart uninvolved, can’t help the feelings she develops for Fejo. Join us this week!

This week, your hosts discuss House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas. After the events of House of Earth and Blood, Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar were told to lay low, to live uneventful lives, and the Asteri would leave them in peace. They try, but when intel regarding the rebels is brought to their attention, Bryce, Hunt and their friends can’t help but get involved, especially as more and more secrets come to light. Coverage of this book is split into two parts. Next week, we’ll discuss the last part of the book, our theories for the story and predictions for the next book. (Description of characters, plot and spoilers is followed by our discussion, which starts at 19:45.)

This week, your hosts discus House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas. Bryce Quinlan’s life is upended when her best friends are brutally murdered. When similar murders begin to occur years later, she teams up with Hunt Athalar, fallen angel now enslaved to the ruling Archangel Micah, to avenge the death of those she loved. However, the further she dives into the investigation, the more secrets she uncovers, and the more time she and Hunt spend together, the more their attraction to each other grows. This is a 2 part episode. Look for part 2 on Thursday. (Review of plot, characters and spoiler warning is followed by discussion, which starts at 17:50.)

This week, your hosts discuss Binds of Cupidity, the second book in the Heart Hassle series by Raven Kennedy. Now that Emelle is corporeal, she’ll do whatever it takes to stay out of the veil, which means she must stay close to the sexy Genfins, Ronak, Every, and Sylred, who anchor her to this world. To do that, they must survive the culling trials, and Prince Elphar is not known for mercy. Join us this week!

In this episode, your hosts discuss the last four short stories in The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski. In these stories, Geralt must navigate tricky political situations at a banquet Cintra’s princess, remove a pesky devil who’s as helpful at farming as he is inconvenient, and enlist the power of a sorceress to save his best bud after he’s injured by a Djinn. He has adventures with Dandelion, is drawn in by the sorceress Yennefer, heals courtesy of Nenneke, and gains something unexpected via the Law of Surprise. Join us as we discuss Geralt‘s adventures, offer comparisons to the show on Netflix, and wrap up the Last Wish.

This week, your hosts discuss Blood Laws by Lexi C. Foss. Astasiya Davenport has been keeping secrets for her entire life. When her friend, Owen is violently murdered, she learns that there’s more to the supernatural world and her own abilities than she realized. Her world grows more complicated when she meets Issac Wakefield, billionaire bachelor and vampire, who’s instantly intrigued by Stas. She makes a deal with him in exchange for more information about the supernatural beings she’s just discovered, but their relationship quickly turns into a forbidden romance. Join us this week!

In this week's episode your hosts discuss Jack Whitney's debut novel, Dead Moons Rising! Aydra Ravenspeak has spent years trying to get her brother and kingdom to see her as more than an accessory to the throne. She has to constantly push back against what society wants with little success. However, when she ends up in Draven Greenwood's realm she finds a place where people embrace who she is. Unfortunately, Draven has been her enemy since they were children and the two have to find a way to work together. It is with him that she learns her life and kingdom are shrouded in lies. In the end, she will need to make a tough choice. Will Draven and Aydra be able to overcome history and be King and Queen? Or will their love mean their destruction? *Trigger warning* This is an after dark episode with discussions of rape and sexual assault.

This week, your hosts discuss Choosing Theo by Victoria Aveline. It’s all fun and games until you get kidnapped by aliens and left on a mysterious planet light years away from your home. Unfortunately for Jade, this is her new reality, and now that she’s been left on Clecania, intergalactic law prevents her from returning back to Earth. When given little choice but to participate in Clecania’s coupling ceremony, Jade must choose a male to marry for the next three months while she figures out what to do next. When Jade selects Theo, a broody mercenary who is often spurned by his fellow Clecania’s for the scars that mar his skin, Theo is surprised and distrustful. He does everything he can to discover her ulterior motives, but despite his efforts, sparks fly. However this world is not safe for Jade—someone from this planet had her kidnapped from her home and they are determined to possess her. Join us this week! **afterdark episode—we’re discussing mature themes!**

Your hosts are wrapping up the year with a fun holiday themed book - Winter Fae Queen by Lexi Foss and JR Thorn! Artica is picked for an exclusive internship in the North Pole and she gets to work with some unique men. Lark is an elf prince who is nearing coronation and is worried that the realm will not accept him. Nordon is Lark's best friend and lover, he is trying to help Lark find the rest of his triad. Kalt is a broody royal water fae who craves love but pushes everyone away. In this why choose romance, Artica must help all of her men and complete Lark's triad or else the North Pole may face a crisis. This is an after dark episode!

This week, your hosts discuss King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair. Isolde de Lara faces a difficult choice: marry Adrian, king of the vampires, allying her kingdom with his and saving her people from certain death, or reject the vampire king’s offer of marriage and start a war between kingdoms. But for Isolde, no sacrifice is too great, even if it means eternally tying herself to a monster that she’s been raised all of her life to fear and to hate. However, life with the vampire king is different from what she anticipated. Each day reveals new secrets that make her question everything she’s ever known, and with new secrets comes an old enemy. **this is an after dark episode, featuring mature themes**

In this week's episode your hosts discuss the first book in Laura Thalassa's four horsemen series - Pestilence. He is the first horseman to ride the Earth, spreading a deadly plague that no one survives. All Pestilence needs to do is ride through a city and everyone will succumb to the sickness. In a desperate attempt to save her family Sara decides to try and kill Pestilence. Of course, things do not go as planned and she finds herself at his mercy. Will Sara be able to convince Pestilence to give up his purpose or will he drive her away with an inability to accept humanity?

This week, your hosts discuss A Throne of Ruin by K.F. Breene. Through trial and error and Finley’s own ingenuity, she’s discovered am elixir that has the potential to save the lives of those in the kingdom affected by the curse and makes plans with Nyfain to distribute it to other villages in the kingdom. Nyfain tries to keep their interactions platonic to protect Finley from the demon king, but their chemistry is undeniable. The more appealing Finley is to Nyfain and the more notice she gains for her skills with elixirs, the greater the danger to her life.

In this book your hosts discuss K.F Breene's A Ruin of Roses! It is the first book in her Deliciously Dark Fairytales series. The kingdom has been cursed, people are no longer able to shift into their animal form and they are dying from a mysterious sickness. Finley has spent her whole life in her small village. She has done her best to find a cure for the illness that kills so many but has only found ways to lessen the symptoms. Her search for a cure brings her into the forbidden forest and into the path of Nyfain. Finley and Nyfain are drawn to each other despite their differences but they fight their feelings. Will they be able to work together or will their feelings get in the way? *This is an after-dark episode with discussion of sex*

In this week’s episode, your hosts discuss Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco. Emilia Maria di Carlo and her sister, Vittoria have always known magic was real. When Vittoria is brutally murdered, Emilia will stop at nothing to discover why and who killed her, including summoning a demon. Emilia works with Wrath, a prince of hell, to uncover the truth behind the series of murders of young women, Vittoria’s included, in Emilia’s home town, but when Wrath’s motivations come into question, Emilia begins to doubt his intentions. Will they be able to discover her sister’s murderer?