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Gems of Ixora #2

Of Blood and Garnet

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One bathed by the moon with darkness in her heart, the other kissed by the sun with lightning in her veins. When the fate of the realm hangs in the balance, what would they give to be the last one standing?


With assassins lurking around darkened corners, friends betraying their young Queen, and the addition of an unlikely ally, Auraelia’s unsure of whom to trust. Grieving the death of her mother, and Daemon’s absence as war threatens her kingdom, all she knows for certain, is that her people come first…even if that means that she has to close off her heart to the one person her soul and magic call to.

Losing Auraelia was not an option.

It didn’t matter what contracts his father signed, Daemon refused to give up the one thing that meant the most to him in the realm. But as Davina’s hold over the courts in Ixora broadened, the walls around Auraelia’s heart hardened. Determined to win not only her heart, but his place by her side as she faces down a great evil, Daemon works to become everything she claimed she needed.

As the war draws closer, will he be enough?

498 pages, Paperback

First published August 13, 2024

11 people are currently reading
120 people want to read

About the author

Jessica Hoffa

3 books48 followers

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5 stars
36 (48%)
4 stars
22 (29%)
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15 (20%)
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1 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Kim.
322 reviews155 followers
August 11, 2024
♾️ 🌟

I didn’t want this to end! I just love this Romantasy SO much!

RTC!
Profile Image for Ashlan.
168 reviews4 followers
August 8, 2024
Can I just say, this series is such a contribution to the indie romantasy community. Of Blood and Garnet is part two of the Gems of Ixora duology. A romantasy, featuring a story of two star-crossed lovers. Each an heir to their own kingdom, destined as tragic soulmates, these two go through MANY obstacles. BUT they do get their happily ever after in this action packed, suspenseful, magical, and emotionally-charged story.

This story is definitely entertaining, and we are taken on quite the rollercoaster. Along with stellar world building and a very creative magic system, what truely makes this story however is the characters. I LOVED Daemon. He is seriously so perfect. Our boy is ✨obsessed✨, but in a very endearing way 😉 Auraelia is such a sweet soul, smart, strong, a total BA. And guys, she just stays rolling with the punches in these books. But the character growth was done perfectly for these two.

After the events of book one I was VERY unsure how these two were going to come back to one another. There were many points in the story where I was just internally screaming at her to JUST LET HIM IN ALREADY. But I will say, the payoff is definitely worth it! The romance in this book is so piney and angsty, I loved it. Also, this book is spiiiiicy BUT the intimacy truly surpasses just a physical level, they have great emotional chemistry as well. Banter was definitely gold and the commentary was hilarious between all the characters. I genuinely enjoyed the side characters, Piper especially. The friendship between Rae and Piper was fantastic and something I always enjoy in heavy romance stories.

So if y’all are on the hunt for a romantic fantasy that features things such as:
✨Star-crossed lovers
✨Found family
✨Reincarnated love
✨Unique magic
✨Revenge/redemption
✨Court intrigue
Then I definitely recommend this book, and to all my romantasy readers out there. This is a good one and now complete ✌🏻
Profile Image for Jayde Hewitt.
9 reviews
August 18, 2024
WOW! This book was everything I needed and more. My 3 week reading rut was cured when I finally dove into Of Blood and Garnet. The journey of Daemon and Auraelia was beautifully written.
The beautiful world of Ixora after the tragic ending on book 1 beautifully illustrated the challenges Auraelia faced as the new Queen of Emerald.
The unexpected turns she was dealt with, betrayal, love, heartache and loss. Jessica wrote such a beautiful story that kept me on my toes. The ending was so consuming I could not stop reading. I also enjoyed the side story of Piper and her journey of discovering herself. This was such a wonderful romantasy book that featured all my favorite things: magic, monarchy challenges, star-crossed lovers and revenge. I recommend the Gems of Ixora duo, and look forward to other books written by Jessica!
Profile Image for FloofyMooseReads.
601 reviews99 followers
August 5, 2024
This is the second book in the Gems of Ixora duology, a romantasy series about a young woman coming into her powers and the man she falls for. Tropes include shadow daddy, betrayal star crossed lovers, revenge, past lives and found family. This book does include adult spicy content so please check content warnings.

The Lovely: I loved the characters, main and side, and their relationships. I think my favorite side character is now Aiden, as we learned more about him. The main characters, as a couple, have challenges to overcome both internally and externally. It was beautiful to watch their character and relationship development, especially when Daemon was focused on caring for and comforting her.

The Mundane: I also liked how gems continued to play a role in the world building and magic system. I would have liked to have learned more about the magic system and how certain powers are used (i.e. characters has snow magic but can also use it as a transportation system).

Rating: 4/5 Stars 3/5 Flames

Recommendation: I received an advance review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Although it caused some serious stress and anxiety, I liked the ending. We had a nice buildup of tension, the events seemed appropriately sized for the conclusion and left me with that warm, happy HEA feeling. I enjoyed this duology as a whole and look forward to reading more books by this author.
Profile Image for Judy Green | thegreenishbookshelf.
40 reviews2 followers
August 13, 2024
The Gems of Ixora duet have SUCH a chokehold on me 😭 I wanted to do nothing but read Of Blood and Garnet, but I also wanted to savor it as much as possible! Jessica has done an amazing job with her debut series- the politics, magic system, and world building are all unique. I have not stopped thinking about Of Storm and Emerald since I finished it last year, and Of Blood and Garnet was everything I needed!

Of Blood and Garnet picks up right around where book one ended. Rae and Daemon have so many trials to go through for their relationship and as a reader, it is emotional. I once again felt every emotion when reading this book. I even messaged Jessica that I was feeling so anxious knowing what was to come, that I was going to pour my anxiety a cup of coffee and let her hang out for a while 🤣

In book two we of course have our favorite bestie, Piper, still around (love her for real she’s amazing) and we get to see her relationship status change, but we also get to learn more about Aiden and Yvaine. Aiden is hilarious and I have so many of his quotes highlighted! The love Daemon holds for Rae is unmatched and the 🌶️ scenes with our shadow daddy are 😏😏

If you are a Romantasy reader, I encourage you to read the Gems of Ixora duet. It does not read like a debut author, and I promise you will fall in love with these characters!

A little quote from Aiden: “Whatever you say, Blondie.” “Blondie?” Aiden gasped. “You wound me, Your Majesty.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Jessica.
964 reviews24 followers
August 2, 2024
“Even if the stars fall from the sky. Even if the world is cinders around us, I will always love you.”

If you’re a fan of romantasy, spice, soulmates, and tons of magic, I highly suggest reading the Gems of Ixora series by Jessica Hoffa. Of Blood and Garnet takes place after the events of the first book, Of Storm and Emerald, so book one needs to be read in order to fully understand the story!

What an absolute perfect ending to Aurelia and Daemon’s story! The character development from the first story to now is absolutely impeccable. Aurelia fits into her new role perfectly. She is so determined to keep her people, her family, and the love of her life safe from any type of danger. She was willing to let Daemon leave to protect him. She’s such a badass FMC and I truly loved reading her story. Daemon is the perfect book boyfriend. He is obsessed with Aurelia and would let the world burn to the ground to make her happy. I love him so so much.

The plot was captivating and the world-building was so good. I loved how the side characters interacted with Aurelia and Daemon and how they worked together to take on Davina. Jessica Hoffa did an excellent job with this book! It is definitely worth the read.
1 review
August 25, 2024
All the feels

365 days after Of Storm and Emerald's release, author Jessica Hoffa took me on an amazing, emotional roller coaster ride, as she unfolded the next chapter in the lives of Auraelia and Daemon. The story grabs the reader from the first word of the first chapter and doesn't let go until the end. I love the the way the author developed her characters. She shows the reader how strength and vulnerability are not mutually exclusive and are so important in all relationships, but especially in relationships of the heart.

Auraelia is a badass!! I love this character and feel like I know her personally. She is complex (as most women are), staunchly loyal and independent, passionate, intelligent, funny, and talented. She is comfortable with her sexuality and goes after what she wants...which is Daemon.

Daemon is a strong male character that readers will fall in love with. He is so secure in his love for Auraelia, that he is able to allow her to be herself. Their connection is so real, I found myself experiencing laughter, tears, chills, and joy.

A MUST READ for anyone who loves a great story, star crossed lovers, magic, intrigue, good vs. evil, and beautiful world building.
Profile Image for Tieraney (arobynns version).
330 reviews20 followers
August 12, 2024
JESUSSSSSSSSSS

i loved this book!!!

"𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝑨𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒂. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒕."

you tell em, daddy 🤭

there is absolutely nothing better than a feral possessive mmc who would literally burn the world for his woman.

this story is a mighty rollercoaster. its still got the unique & stellar world building with the creative magic system, but what truely makes this story is the characters. I LOVE daemon…. this should not have been surprising ahaha literally he is perfect perfect perfect!! auraelia is such a smart, strong, badass (i wanna be her when i grow up). enough of me gushing ab them… the character growth was done perfectly.

the romance in this book? angsty.
the spice in this book? the spicesttt.
but the intimacy really was my favorite in this book; the emotional chemistry was just top tier

💫 star-crossed lovers
💫 found family
💫 reincarnated love
💫 unique magic
💫 revenge/redemption
Profile Image for Charmaine Healy.
98 reviews4 followers
August 20, 2024
OMG what an ending!!!

After the rollercoaster of emotions book one sent me on, plus that ending. I didn’t think anything could top it to be honest.

How wrong I was. This was just everything I wanted for these two. Daemon and Aurelia are just couple goals and to see their relationship grow through all the trials and tribulations made me feel all warm and fuzzy 🥰

And the ending!!!! (I won’t spoil it don’t worry 😉)

All the characters in this were so well written and thought out and they each added to the overall storyline. Piper is hands down my fave ❤️And we won’t talk about you know who!! (Glad she got what she deserved)

Loved this duology so so much. Kinda bummed that there won’t be another one. But that just means I’ll have to re read them again so no biggie ❤️

Please don’t miss out on this amazing story. Pick up a copy of this book and come back to me for chats 😊
Profile Image for Kira.
92 reviews1 follower
December 14, 2024
I can't cope! That was perfect, despite my heart being sent into a million different directions. I am so happy after finishing that but also the journey was incredible. I don't know what to do without reading their love story. As I say that was a journey, there was alot of crying and emotions and pain, but it's worth it in the end. I liked the in depth look we got into some more of the world and the magical elements, understanding better how it all works and learning with the characters. I liked the element of having the flash backs I think they evolved the story and gave more historical information from the first book. This gave a nice view of some of the painful things the characters each had to go through and with what they were raised for and ending up in a war they never thought would happen. I liked seeing more about some of the side characters and would love to see more about them, Piper Xander and Aiden are definitely an interesting point that needs finalising, especially with Pipers new anxieties after everything; I would love to see more of the othe POV's I am intrigued by Xanders. There was a deeper level of everything moving from book one to book two, especially within trust and assurances and the spice. The details are beautiful and the different places we get to see from the world. The cover art is also gorgeous.
Profile Image for Sarah.
9 reviews
January 7, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jessica has out done herself, again.

I could not put this book down. Watching Daemon and Auraelia’s story grow together, breathtaking. For Daemon to hear they are MATES, my heart wasn’t ready. The last scene of after the war. I wasn’t sure if they were going to make it or not. Had me on the bridge tears. I was just like Daemon. I was not ready for their story to end. Both of her books have left me speechless wanting more.

Piper and Xander, I hope to hear more of their story. They both deserve their love ❤️.

“It was soul-altering, bone-deep, and all consuming.” Perfectly described (different context, ofc) how this book made me feel.

I will forever recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jessica.
327 reviews6 followers
August 14, 2024
4.5☆
Oh my heart. This was a perfect rollercoaster of emotions for Auraelia and Daemon's story.

You'll root for these characters to overcome so many challenge throughout the book. You'll get frustrated, laugh along with the characters, want to tear up, kick your feet like a happy little kid, and maybe throw a book, but they were all worth it. I love the continued development with the characters and the world around them. Aiden, Piper and Xander are still some of my favorite characters and I wanted to wrap them in bubble wrap a few times in this book to say the least.

This was a wonderful and enjoyable sequel. You won't be disappointed.
Profile Image for Kristenallie.
51 reviews
August 8, 2024
This is the second book in this series and I loved every part of it! FMC is such a badass! The emotions and power that she has not only for the people that are close to her but also for her whole court. She is an amazing queen. The love her and the MMC have is magical. She thought she had to choose her court over him but really she needs them both. Plus piper and her brother! Love them both. And that war… omg insane! It was so good and I definitely shed some tears. This book had me pulled in from start to finish. Definitely recommend this series!
Profile Image for Beth.
269 reviews5 followers
August 10, 2024
Aurelia must protect her people, her kingdom, no matter the personal cost.

Part 2 of the Gems of Ixora duology, Of Blood and Garnet is the a culmination of the emotional upheaval we witnessed in book 1. Richly detailed, the descriptions bring the reader into the story as a bystander. From that vantage point on Aurelia’s shoulder, you experience the misguided self denial, the pain & suffering, the love and passion, the fierce level of protection and finally wonder and thankfulness to the Goddesses that gave her strength.

A rollercoaster of ups and downs, finishing where the Goddesses knew all along it would.
Profile Image for Faye Drawdy.
42 reviews4 followers
August 20, 2024
Ok so the part you really want. The rating. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and I'm gonna say a 🌶️🌶️on the spicy scale. The stars would have been five if the ending had felt more natural to me. The spice is significantly less than the last book, though my spice scale might be a bit skewed so be aware there are on page scenes and there are a decent amount of them.

If you enjoy the following tropes you'll love this duology.

⚔️ Kingdoms at War ☠️"Touch her and Die" 🌩️Elemental Magic 🕶️Shadow Daddy 💪Bad-ass FMC

If you're interested in a full review you can find it at Faye's Ever-Expanding Bookshelf! The link below will take you straight tot he full review!

https://fayesexpandingbookshelf8.word...
Profile Image for Marisa P.
53 reviews2 followers
August 13, 2024
This book was absolutely incredible. After reading book one, I was in an absolute chokehold waiting to find out what happened to Aurelia and Daemon. Well, Of Blood and Garnet certainly did not disappoint. I had so many emotions as I read this book. Anger, sadness, joy and more. The plot moved along at an excellent pace and I was completely invested in the characters. I'm glad I read this and can't wait to see what else author Jessica Hoffa comes up with!
Profile Image for Anna Marie.
155 reviews6 followers
August 10, 2024
“I don’t get on my knees for just anyone, Auraelia. But I would gladly make my home at your feet.”

There is absolutely NOTHING better than a feral possessive MMC who will literally let the world burn for his woman. He is unabashedly in love with this woman from day one and let's her and the whole world know it. Part two of this fated mates duet has been nothing short of mesmerizing. I fell in love with the world of Ixora and I look forward to hopefully getting more from this world 🤞🏼🤞🏼
Profile Image for Hillary Tucker.
155 reviews
August 14, 2024
Honestly 5 stars is not enough. That was so good!! Honestly it felt like a roller coaster at times but it was so enjoyable the whole time!!! I absolutely love Jessica’s writing style and how the banter is between characters. This was the most epic and beautiful ending these characters could have received. I just want more now!!
Profile Image for Southernbookdragon.
205 reviews11 followers
August 14, 2024
Shadow Daddy

Oh my goodness!! Jessica did it again!!! I love Daemon and Auraelia’s story! I hated the was she thought she needed to be and he just continued to love her anyway and follow her! Absolutely loved the end of this book and everything about it!! I would love to see a Piper story!
Profile Image for Alison Laun.
55 reviews8 followers
August 8, 2024
i just LOVE when the mmc is down bad for fmc and trust that Daemon is down BAD for Auraelia !! The chemistry with these characters is devine. What a great conclusion to Aurealia’s and Daemon’s story - they will be living in my head rent free from now until the end of time :)
Profile Image for mistylovesbooks.
314 reviews18 followers
August 8, 2024
Auraelia’s cousin is terrorizing all of Ixora trying to divide them.
Daemon is trying to get Auraelia to see reason and to stop pushing him away.
War is coming and everyone needs to be ready.

I received a copy for an honest review.
368 reviews12 followers
August 17, 2024
Absolutely wonderful

The conclusion of Aurealia and Daemon's story is full of secrets, twists and turns and amazing chemistry and emotion. It was everything I could have wanted. I was so engrossed I was sad to see it end. I love this couple and their journey.
Profile Image for Kristen McCaffrey.
76 reviews
September 12, 2024
Dnf'ed @ 50%
I was excited about this after the first book.
This one was a little repetitive and was just dragging on. I couldn't see how I had only made it halfway through the book when I decided I couldn't be bothered anymore.
Profile Image for Amanda.
42 reviews
September 5, 2024
Loved the conclusion to this Duology. Perfect series for Romantasy lovers that love a strong FMC, Shadow Daddy, unique magic system and realm, banter, spice!

Profile Image for Heidi Adkins.
4 reviews1 follower
November 14, 2024
Another spectacular and steamy story!!! Can’t wait to see more from this world!!
Profile Image for Angelica Kennedy.
350 reviews2 followers
December 31, 2024
This series continues to amaze. The world building and characters are beautifully done. Would highly highly recommend.
Profile Image for Jennie.
690 reviews48 followers
August 13, 2024
I give this book 4 1/2⭐️ I really enjoyed I love Daemon and him fighting for her and her her stubbornness did come in handy lol this book was just a ride and the emotions and the spice was spicing 🔥🔥 and loved all the different points of view but overall this was a good read but I still have some questions 😂😂
Profile Image for Kristin Keele.
326 reviews5 followers
August 13, 2024
Book Two in Gems of Ixora is just as good as book one. The chemistry of the characters is on point. The build up is intense, I couldn't put the book down. The action keeps you at the end of your seat needing more. I really enjoyed this book and the series!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews

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