It felt good to remember what it was like to not just survive.
How many turns can life take? After the death of her mother and then uncovering her truth, Byrd finally starts to feel normalcy again. With her mate, Quinn, and friends by her side, Byrd was starting to feel secure, despite the pain of the past. But when Byrd discovers a terrible truth at Quinn’s familial home, the world shatters around her once again. Sinister forces are circling closer and closer… a hunter, a betrayal, and a fear. A fear that even if she makes it out alive, will she ever find normal again?
A world without mi vida was a world I never wanted to be a part of ever again.
Quinn is furious. When Byrd is captured, she can feel that time is not on their side. Every hour that passes on the search to find her mate, Quinn’s rage and fears grow. Quinn is racing against a clock she can’t see to save the girl she loves more than life.
The stakes have never been higher. What will happen to Byrd and Quinn? Will they get their Happily Ever After?
Find out in this gripping conclusion to the Crystal Dragon Duet, Memories Like Fangs!
This is a spicy lesbian paranormal romance featuring a Dual POV from BIPOC characters, diverse supernatural creatures, fated mates, family drama, adorable animal companions, femme rage, trauma and healing, and so much more.
Please this is Book Two of a duology and the final book in the series. It contains explicit and dark content, mature language, violence, death, descriptions of on-page explicit sexual acts, and healing from trauma. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. Please read through all TWs/CWs as your mental health is important to me.
Chelsey León is a born and raised Georgia peach and believer in Black Girl Magic and the gay agenda. She wrote her first book when she was twelve years old and has been creating wild stories ever since. When she isn’t writing about lesbian monsters with some daddy issues, working in the tech industry because capitalism, or being so tired of this grandpa, she’s spending time with her own fated mate, her wife, and their three fur babies that they have to remind people aren’t human children constantly but might as well be. She also loves reading, super creamy coffee, butter cake, video games, pretty things, and being a chaotic unhinged mess with her friends.
I will begin my review by saying that I am not a romantasy reader in any way, shape, or form. This is my second romantasy book ever, with the first being Scars Like Wings, by this author. Do I understand shifters? No, and I probably never will understand all the lore surrounding them. I wouldn’t know a fae witch if they walked up to me on the street and gave me a bagel.
But I do understand excellent writing when I read it. And this was that. The prose was lyrical and moving and perfectly combined the “real” world with the fantasy world. (Super extra double credit for the nod to Mean Girls, Ms. Chelsey) Memories Like Fangs picks up where Scars like Wings leaves off. The pace is fast and the action in the story begins right away. Despite all the action and fighting and epic battles, this is truly about two lesbian BIPOC women coming into their own. Quinn and Byrd are fated mates, Quinn being a huntress and Byrd being a dragon shifter does not make them a common pairing. Their bond isn’t just physical. Quinn and Byrd are the anchors for each other while they are navigating finding their way in the world.
There are family secrets to be discovered and trauma to be overcome, but there is never a doubt that Quinn and Byrd are going to be together. There are a ton of near-death experiences and, for me, that’s way easier to read than a third act breakup over a miscommunication. The best part is the pure dedication and love between the MCs and the relationships that they have build with their found family.
Chelsey’s writing was intentional and I never got the feeling that there were sentences just used for filler. The symbolism and the figurative language moved the story forward and drew me closer to the core of the characters, even the villains. For me, this book really showed tremendous growth in the author’s writing and real maturity and sensitivity, particularly when dealing with grief. I was so thrilled to be in Quinn’s POV and to not only see, but feel her struggles, insecurities, and pain. It was a pleasure to see her vulnerable and to lean so completely into becoming a true partner to Byrd, not just being a badass huntress.
I can’t compare this to other fantasy books, but I can tell you that this book was beautiful and moving and entertaining and just wonderful.
Wow, I absolutely adored the first book and was excited and nervous that this one wouldn’t be as good however it was amazing!
I adore all the characters and the way they are written, I love how one of the mc is plus size, it seems rare for an author to include a plus size lead especially in a romance
The actual plot was great, it had so many twists and turns and when you thought it was over, it wasn’t. I won’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but honestly an amazing plot
I always love when an author includes a 6 months later because it wraps the story up well, without leaving the reader with questions and this one was no exception, I love a happy ending so much especially in a sapphic romance
Overall an incredible book, this author is extremely talented with her writing style and the way she can really set a scene and make the reader understand how the character looks or the scenery.
* full disclosure I was given this book by the author, Chelsey León, in exchange for an honest review*
Everything in this second book has thrown me for a loop. I’ve never been so exhausted from a world I don’t live in.
The pacing is a bit awkward and the abrupt problems that arose were so stressful. We’d get two seconds of silence before it all came crashing down again. Also the ending…? I really wish these books had epilogues because I don’t think it should’ve ended on the scene it did…Anyways! I still have the same complaints as last book, overly detailed scenes leave no room for a break. There was constantly something painting an extremely vivid and unnecessary picture of the scene we were currently in.
Nonetheless, this book was a roller coaster of emotions but also so completely unnecessarily drawn out. I cried at multiple points during the book (especially during Doe’s memory of her mother’s funeral and the day she left her enchantment). And got extremely frustrated at others. I’m not going to lie, the scene in the library with Lilah and the guardians? Brydgette had the chance to kill her right then and there. It was extremely irritating to have that annoying witch come back multiple times. ESPECIALLY after a good moment. Tallis’ death felt a bit odd with the way it was framed. We didn’t see her for most of the fight with Lilah but BOOM, she’s dead? I feel we should’ve gotten more of that if she was going to die. I don’t understand Quinn’s mom not wanting her to challenge her dad but then saying “I told you this would happen” when he dies…? If she knew Quinn would win then why not just let her get it over with and save us all the misery??? I know she’s a mom and worried but that statement kinda didn’t make sense. I also feel Quinn’s dad dying last and quite swiftly was irritating. We get pages and pages for Lilah who could’ve been killed much earlier but Quinn’s dad gets off easy.
Anyways, this book felt sort of thrown together, and there was somewhat of a shift in Brydgette’s character? That seemed to be a bit abrupt. I did like Quinn’s pov because you can tell she loves her girl dearly but I kind of wish we would’ve gotten it in book 1 too. It would’ve been nice to know what she was thinking then as well if dual POV was going to be introduced later.
TLDR: Book’s pacing is odd and seems kind of jumpy and thrown together. It was quite exhausting to have a reoccurring villain who could’ve been killed and saved me the headache much earlier. Quinn’s dad also should’ve been killed earlier but it’s understandable why he was dealt with much later. I appreciated the scenes with Brydgette and her mom, they moved me heavily and the visuals that came to me when I read the words were beautiful. I feel there’s only a certain number of pages you can get to before the plot becomes dragged out and this book did just that with Lilah’s character. Ending was a bit disappointing considering all that happened but it’s okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book :)
This book starts off really strong with the first chapter for the most part. The biggest issue there is that Quinn's POV is added to this book and we get so many flashbacks and monologues from her. It would have been better to either have Quinn's POV in the first book as well or to only keep Byrd's POV in this one. Quinn seems to get more chapters than Byrd, so we get so much of her internal thoughts and spiraling when Byrd still really feels like the main character. Quinn's internal monologue is almost entirely centered on Byrd and being a simp, which I love for them, but it gets boring.
Part 1 of this book did have better editing than the other 4 parts. This book just would have really benefitted from some more time and editing. Some of which could potentially be attributed to me reading an ARC copy.
The first part is engaging and exiting, but it loses that feeling as it goes on, largely due to excessive monologues, overly descriptive passages, and unnecessary scenes. It took me so long to get through this book. Not just because it's long, but because it's so much longer than it needs to be. When you have a Romantasy where the love interests are already together and have no issues in their relationship, then the story has to be carried by other plots. These other plots just weren't strong enough.
The banter is great, though. It does use a lot of modern slang, but I personally enjoy that. I think it's really fun. This book would have benefitted from more dialogue and less inner thoughts.
While Byrd and Quinn's relationship feels a little boring throughout, it's still a very sweet and tender relationship. I didn't really find the relationship believable in the first book, but this one really made me believe in them. I enjoy how much of a supportive and loving simp Quinn is and how much we can see Byrd really loves Quinn.
One of the best things about this duet is also the amount of rep for the LGBTQIA+ community along with the depictions of ADHD and anxiety.
This book did have the makings to be better than the first, but it's mostly on par with the first. If you liked the first you'll probably like this one, too. This one just really needs more editing to help with pacing and flow of the story.
Oh, where do I start? This book was everything I hoped it would be and then some. Scars Like Wings is a book that I have not stopped talking about since I read it, and Memories Like Fangs will be just like it.
Byrd and Quinn had so much to overcome and deal with. Just when you think it's over, something else is popping up. I don't think I've laughed, cried, or smiled this much for a book before.
Chelsey has a way of writing the story and making you fall right into it. Her details of the torture Byrd has to go through with Lilah, which was so painful to read. I sobbed during the chapter that Byrd could finally give her mother the rest and peace she so rightfully deserved. Quinn finally getting to deal with her father and realizing she isn't a disappointment but so strong. There are so many parts that culminated into these two getting their happy ending.
This story shows the very real side of generational trauma that far too many people have to deal with. It just adds a little magic that I'm sure many of us wish we had to help deal with it. We see how one moment in time can affect so many people so many years later and that it can do so much damage no matter how hard you try to stop it. Byrd came from two loving parents, and all her mother did was try to defend herself, and years later, Byrd and Quinn are still being affected by it because of a few selfish people. I was afraid to see how it would play out realizing that the role of Quinn's family so violently tore apart Byrd's, but Chelsey beautifully got us through that traumatic situation.
I will also say, as I've said before, to see SO MUCH representation of different people in one story is so refreshing and so beautiful. Seeing plus size characters who sound like me and look like me makes me feel like I really do have a place in the fantasy world. I have never wanted to be a part of a group of friends/family as much as I wanted to be a part of this group.
The only thing I could ask for is a short story of their wedding because I just know Byrd picked every perfect detail for it 🩵
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This series has such a grip on me and I was extremely excited for this sequel and I wasn't disappointed! The first book in their series, Scars Like Wings, made me so invested in Byrd and Quinn's story and the world of magic, supernaturals and hunters they're in. Memories Like Fangs builds upon this giving us more insight into Quinn's backstory, her traumatic relationship with her father, her conflicting feelings around being a hunter and her fierce love for Byrd. As an AuDHDer I loved seeing the representation of Quinn's experience and struggles with her neurodivergence - especially around self doubt, and difficulties with emotional regulation which were really well written.
We also see more of Byrd's backstory too as we learn more about her parents and family backgrounds and I loved the world building to set the scene for this. Loved learning more about dragon shifters and their enchantments and seeing Byes grow into her power with strength and beauty despite battling hell.
This book gives you some excellent villains to hate read who take our MCs to their limits and you'll be actively rooting against them. The conflict and tension is gripping and satisfying, it also leads to some badass shifter scenes which are good fun to read!
One of the main themes running through this book is trauma and the imprint it can leave on a person so it's a heavier read than book one but really well handled and gives depth to the characters. However there's still a strong thread of the power that family (both blood and found), inner strength and love has to help overcome near impossible odds. Once again I adored all the supporting characters and the author has such a good knack for making them feel real.
I'm devastated the series is over as I love this setting but the ending is satisfying and felt right for the story. This series will stay with me for a long while and is always a go to recommendation for me because i love it so much.
Many thanks to the author for an ARC of this book and this is an honest review, it's been a real joy to be part of the team.
A huge thank you to the author, Chelsey J. León, for the ARC in exchange for a review!
Memories Like Fangs was book two of The Crystal Dragon Duet, and, just like book one, was filled to the brim with magic, shifters, crystals, romance, and a whirlwind of emotions. Chelsey did a fantastic job bringing this world to life and I found myself completely immersed in the story.
Found family is one of my favorite tropes, and this book delivers on that. The characters become closer throughout the story and lean on one another with trust and loyalty. I loved all the cozy and funny moments we’d get with Byrd, Quinn, and the gang, as it was a nice reprieve from the chaos.
Byrd and Quinn’s love is unwavering and it’s no question of their devotion. Quinn is such a BABE who I will always have a crush on! Byrd is a total badass and it is always nice to read books with plus size and queer rep!
The plot was executed well, and Chelsey included so many tough topics like grief, betrayal, secrets, and trauma that were all handled with care.
If you love queer, paranormal, romantasy, that will make you laugh, cry, and bite your nails, this is the book for you!
I’ve been excitedly waiting for this book to come out. Scars Like Wings was an exceptional book and this one was another one! It was absolutely beautiful and I can’t stop thinking about it.
Chelsey has a way of writing stories that pulls me in. The details of things kept me on my toes. There are moments I sobbed because the way things were written just hit me. I had many different emotions reading this book: laughing, crying, smiling, swooning. I really do love authors that can bring out emotions in me and this duet was such a good one.
Byrd and Quinn are some of my absolute favorite characters I have read and they will always have my heart. They had so much they have to deal with and when I think it’s over it’s not.
Thought these two had so much they were going through, I love how they are there for each other and the love they show each other. I was so happy when these two got their HEA. I made me smile and tear up at the same time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written and I couldn’t get enough of it. I highly recommend this one!
I am very privileged to have been an arc reader, this is my honest review. I had been anticipating the release of this book, impatiently I will add after absorbing/speed reading the first book of this series. Chelsey’s writing was intentional and I never got the feeling that there were sentences just used for filler. I was so scared that this book wouldn’t live up to the hype I had created in my head after the first novel, but after the first page I was just as enthralled.
We had the added POV of Quinn and her inner monologue which was a bonus
An incredible book, this author is extremely talented with her writing style and the way she sets a scene and pulls the reader in makes them understand how the character looks or the scenery.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written and I couldn’t get enough of it and can’t stop thinking about it. I highly recommend this series.
" Hey, Byrd thought through the mating bond, if it helps, i didnt know i had a masked woman fantasy until this . " Really ? with how much dark romance is on your shelves? i chuckled behind my helmet "
"listen, you cant judge a girl's kinks by whats on her bookshelves. Some of them i got because they were pretty, and most of them i havent read yet "
I waited for this duet to this series as i adore the first one, This was everything that i hoped for . I still adore Byrd and Quinn even more .
I enjoyed this book the world building is good and the spice is spicy too. One thing I will say about it is it feels like I'm missing pieces of the story. That the story feels like it it started in the middle instead of the beginning I feel like I'm missing context, that should be there but other than that I did enjoy the story and feel you should give it a chance to see if it's your type of Read.
Absolute perfection in every single way. I adore this duet so much. Every part of this book is so beautiful and an absolute pleasure to read. I adore Bryd and Quinn and I will carry their love story with me for a long long time. A huge thank you to the author for writing something that truly altered my brain chemistry
This was a good book. I love that it had romance and shifters. It had a lot of action but not the kind that never stops. This duet is an amazing series that I will keep with me
wtf i was excited for this book and this is what we get???? i suffered through all 500+ pages and ended up kind of hating byrd? i don’t know she just really bothered me. thank god we had quinn’s POV this book. i swear it wasn’t there last book. but this was an annoying and disappointing ending. sorry not sorry