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The Gift War #2
A Palace of Smoke & Mirrors: The Gift War: Book Two
“You are, without a doubt, the worst thing that has ever happened to me,” he said. Then he paused, his eyes ablaze. “But if anyone tried to change it, and they tried to take you back from the absolute trainwreck that catapulted you into my life, I would hunt them to the end of the world. I would hold their hearts in my bare hands and squeeze until they threw you back to me, little beast.”
Furious at having been betrayed, Aura has fled from the House and tumbled deeper into Faerie with one thought in her mind: Run for your life.
With the Malum hellbent on forcing an arranged marriage between the High King of Faerie and an enemy bride, Aura’s life is in constant danger as the caenim track her across the land by scent—the scent of being human, and the scent of being the future High Queen, if she accepts the bond to Lucais. But with Lucais still keeping so much from her, Aura has to make the decision for herself. Should she keep running for her life, or can she fight to save it instead?
Aura knows that she’s haunted by the ghosts of old wrongs, and one day they’ll come to claim the debt that is owed. In order to pay the price, she needs to escape the Oracle’s prophecy—but how many secrets will need to be unravelled first? How many old wounds need to be reopened in order to heal the broken pieces of fate’s misdeeds?
There are questions that demand to be answered and enemies hiding secrets in strange places in Faerie. Aura’s magic makes her a force to reckoned with, but first she needs to reckon with herself.
Furious at having been betrayed, Aura has fled from the House and tumbled deeper into Faerie with one thought in her mind: Run for your life.
With the Malum hellbent on forcing an arranged marriage between the High King of Faerie and an enemy bride, Aura’s life is in constant danger as the caenim track her across the land by scent—the scent of being human, and the scent of being the future High Queen, if she accepts the bond to Lucais. But with Lucais still keeping so much from her, Aura has to make the decision for herself. Should she keep running for her life, or can she fight to save it instead?
Aura knows that she’s haunted by the ghosts of old wrongs, and one day they’ll come to claim the debt that is owed. In order to pay the price, she needs to escape the Oracle’s prophecy—but how many secrets will need to be unravelled first? How many old wounds need to be reopened in order to heal the broken pieces of fate’s misdeeds?
There are questions that demand to be answered and enemies hiding secrets in strange places in Faerie. Aura’s magic makes her a force to reckoned with, but first she needs to reckon with herself.
- GenresFantasy
566 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2025
27 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
About the author
Loren Little
3 books210 followersLoren Little has been writing stories since before she learned how to spell. Her books are dark, sexy, and hopelessly romantic with themes of found family and love growing from the most dismal odds. Loren still believes faeries are real, and she enjoys scattering little pieces of her Australian upbringing into her books.
When she isn't working on her own stories, Loren enjoys watching crime shows and romcoms, and trying to finish her reading challenge as a mood reader with a towering TBR of books.
You can find out more at www.lorenlittle.com. Her most active social media platform is Instagram.
When she isn't working on her own stories, Loren enjoys watching crime shows and romcoms, and trying to finish her reading challenge as a mood reader with a towering TBR of books.
You can find out more at www.lorenlittle.com. Her most active social media platform is Instagram.
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August 13, 2025
You can find this review of A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors on my blog, Heart's Content
A big big shout out and thank you to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!
Side Note Written In Defeat: I have postponed posing the review as much as I can, because the moment I post it, I have to accept that I have actually finished this book. *stares off into the distance in sadness*
I’ve taken three days from the day I finished reading A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors to understand how I feel about it. I call this the “marinating” phase. It’s where I soak in my own obsession and misery. A great pastime by the way, highly recommend.
I’ve come to a conclusion. What is it, you ask? Thank you for asking, I’ll tell you. I’ve come to realize that indie authors, collectively, are the absolute destruction of my heart.
Also, that I would have it no other way.
If you think that A House of Court and Daggers (which you should read if you haven’t, by the way) was devastating, I will say you’re right. But I’ll tell you why APoSaM is … everything that it is.
APoSaM is like finally being able to move and stretch all those limbs and parts of you that were folded and locked tight. It encompasses all the painful relief, feeling and rightness that comes with that. The freedom of finally seeing and feeling everything fall into place is such a fantastic experience to have while reading a book. If AHoCaD was everything that has you clenching, wincing and curling up expecting pain; APoSaM is everything what has you relaxing, stretching and trusting. It was like tasting the potential of what could be. This means that the book is coated in streaks of vulnerability that is so addictive you know it’s right. My favourite thing to read in a book is that; vulnerability. So far, this book might just be my favourite with regard to that.
The writing in APoSaM, much as it was in AHoCaD, is emotionally heavy, compelling and addictive. What was one of my favourite things about book one remains so in book two as well. When I saw the author proudly hold up her book baby, once the paperback was printed, I marvelled at how thicc she was. All I could think was, I bet that book would take me a week to finish. At least. Not sure who I was kidding, because Little’s words drowned me right back into her world and I absolute did not surface until I was done. I would say I took about one and a half days to finish APoSaM. I’m not even a little sorry, but I did promise the author that I would absolutely not ask her when book three was coming, after finishing the book she took a year to complete, within days. Honestly, I have no right.
There’s this saying, I think, about how you could live your whole life with someone and still not know everything about them. I think this book portrays how true that phrase is. I absolutely enjoyed the way Little has penned her characters into this book. The character arcs—especially in comparison to book one—are so evident and beautifully crafted. To say that there is growth, is to say the least. There is ✨ growth ✨ (and no it’s not the same thing because you and I both know you read that differently). There is progress. There is … communication. There is courage. There is quiet laughter and loud proclamations. There is heartbreak and there is vulnerability. I’m sorry I just can’t get over how this book shows us how even the mightiest of tides, with time, effort and work, can turn into gentle, nourishing streams.
In book one, the difficult moments were just that: difficult, painful, wounding. In book two, however, the difficult moments are the right kind of painful, the right kind of emotional and the right kind of healing. There is no hiding, there is no running; there is chasing, there is talking and there is staying. I could not have wished for more. Loren truly truly gave me everything I could’ve hoped for in this book.
If you’ve signed up for Loren Little’s newsletter—which if you haven’t, highly recommend—you’d have had the chance to read her journey of courage against all odds. If you haven’t yet, then read this book—start this series—because I believe she has bled those experiences, those feelings, that strength straight into the pages of APoSaM.
Circling back.
The pace in this book—in case I wasn’t clear in the first 700 odd words of this review—absolutely flew me through the pages. I couldn’t quite believe just how much, how far and how swiftly I’d gone while reading. I checked the little activity tracker and I think I read for about seven hours straight that first day. The book is addictive. No notes.
The plot of this story, I would say, is still primarily hidden. I think this might be a four book series which honestly gives us a lot of time to get to the thick of things. We have larger, slightly more recognisable pieces of the puzzle we began while reading book one, but we still don’t have all the pieces. Based on my guess, even when we do have all the pieces we won’t have any clue as to what the whole picture is going to be until Little assembles it all together for us. While I did find one thing in this book to be predictable, Little says she wasn’t particularly hiding it. *grumpy face*. So I guess she lead her readers straight to it and we thought we found it all on our own. Now I’m wondering what she hid behind her back while leading us forward and pointing at all the pretty and scary things with sharp and poisonous teeth. Is the real danger, what she’s hidden or what we’re seeing?
I guess we’ll find out. *gulps*
The only aspect of this book I struggled with a liiiittle was the world building. I will absolutely take some of the responsibility for it, because perhaps I was reading faster than I could comprehend because of how interested I was. There was another angle to it that is revealed through the course of the book that could also be the reason for why it felt like the book and I were not on the same page with some of the newer rules of the world. That being said, the author herself has her main character call out the many things that were introduced as confusing and while I did understand the barebones of the most important things, the others I’m on slippery slopes with. To ensure you’re on more stable ground while starting this series, I highly recommend rereading book one before diving into APoSaM. (Also, a little birdie told me that we’re not meant to understand anything in this book yet, so teehee.)
I’m so so so curious to see what Loren Little has planned for this series and I canNOT wait for the rest of it to unfold.
Five stars!! Happy happy reading! Please as always, do check trigger warnings, there is content in this books that can be difficult for some.
A big big shout out and thank you to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!
Side Note Written In Defeat: I have postponed posing the review as much as I can, because the moment I post it, I have to accept that I have actually finished this book. *stares off into the distance in sadness*
I’ve taken three days from the day I finished reading A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors to understand how I feel about it. I call this the “marinating” phase. It’s where I soak in my own obsession and misery. A great pastime by the way, highly recommend.
I’ve come to a conclusion. What is it, you ask? Thank you for asking, I’ll tell you. I’ve come to realize that indie authors, collectively, are the absolute destruction of my heart.
Also, that I would have it no other way.
If you think that A House of Court and Daggers (which you should read if you haven’t, by the way) was devastating, I will say you’re right. But I’ll tell you why APoSaM is … everything that it is.
APoSaM is like finally being able to move and stretch all those limbs and parts of you that were folded and locked tight. It encompasses all the painful relief, feeling and rightness that comes with that. The freedom of finally seeing and feeling everything fall into place is such a fantastic experience to have while reading a book. If AHoCaD was everything that has you clenching, wincing and curling up expecting pain; APoSaM is everything what has you relaxing, stretching and trusting. It was like tasting the potential of what could be. This means that the book is coated in streaks of vulnerability that is so addictive you know it’s right. My favourite thing to read in a book is that; vulnerability. So far, this book might just be my favourite with regard to that.
The writing in APoSaM, much as it was in AHoCaD, is emotionally heavy, compelling and addictive. What was one of my favourite things about book one remains so in book two as well. When I saw the author proudly hold up her book baby, once the paperback was printed, I marvelled at how thicc she was. All I could think was, I bet that book would take me a week to finish. At least. Not sure who I was kidding, because Little’s words drowned me right back into her world and I absolute did not surface until I was done. I would say I took about one and a half days to finish APoSaM. I’m not even a little sorry, but I did promise the author that I would absolutely not ask her when book three was coming, after finishing the book she took a year to complete, within days. Honestly, I have no right.
There’s this saying, I think, about how you could live your whole life with someone and still not know everything about them. I think this book portrays how true that phrase is. I absolutely enjoyed the way Little has penned her characters into this book. The character arcs—especially in comparison to book one—are so evident and beautifully crafted. To say that there is growth, is to say the least. There is ✨ growth ✨ (and no it’s not the same thing because you and I both know you read that differently). There is progress. There is … communication. There is courage. There is quiet laughter and loud proclamations. There is heartbreak and there is vulnerability. I’m sorry I just can’t get over how this book shows us how even the mightiest of tides, with time, effort and work, can turn into gentle, nourishing streams.
In book one, the difficult moments were just that: difficult, painful, wounding. In book two, however, the difficult moments are the right kind of painful, the right kind of emotional and the right kind of healing. There is no hiding, there is no running; there is chasing, there is talking and there is staying. I could not have wished for more. Loren truly truly gave me everything I could’ve hoped for in this book.
If you’ve signed up for Loren Little’s newsletter—which if you haven’t, highly recommend—you’d have had the chance to read her journey of courage against all odds. If you haven’t yet, then read this book—start this series—because I believe she has bled those experiences, those feelings, that strength straight into the pages of APoSaM.
Circling back.
The pace in this book—in case I wasn’t clear in the first 700 odd words of this review—absolutely flew me through the pages. I couldn’t quite believe just how much, how far and how swiftly I’d gone while reading. I checked the little activity tracker and I think I read for about seven hours straight that first day. The book is addictive. No notes.
The plot of this story, I would say, is still primarily hidden. I think this might be a four book series which honestly gives us a lot of time to get to the thick of things. We have larger, slightly more recognisable pieces of the puzzle we began while reading book one, but we still don’t have all the pieces. Based on my guess, even when we do have all the pieces we won’t have any clue as to what the whole picture is going to be until Little assembles it all together for us. While I did find one thing in this book to be predictable, Little says she wasn’t particularly hiding it. *grumpy face*. So I guess she lead her readers straight to it and we thought we found it all on our own. Now I’m wondering what she hid behind her back while leading us forward and pointing at all the pretty and scary things with sharp and poisonous teeth. Is the real danger, what she’s hidden or what we’re seeing?
I guess we’ll find out. *gulps*
The only aspect of this book I struggled with a liiiittle was the world building. I will absolutely take some of the responsibility for it, because perhaps I was reading faster than I could comprehend because of how interested I was. There was another angle to it that is revealed through the course of the book that could also be the reason for why it felt like the book and I were not on the same page with some of the newer rules of the world. That being said, the author herself has her main character call out the many things that were introduced as confusing and while I did understand the barebones of the most important things, the others I’m on slippery slopes with. To ensure you’re on more stable ground while starting this series, I highly recommend rereading book one before diving into APoSaM. (Also, a little birdie told me that we’re not meant to understand anything in this book yet, so teehee.)
I’m so so so curious to see what Loren Little has planned for this series and I canNOT wait for the rest of it to unfold.
Five stars!! Happy happy reading! Please as always, do check trigger warnings, there is content in this books that can be difficult for some.
July 6, 2025
ARC READ
Gahhh I love this story so much, it has kept me on my toes since book one and just kept me up there throughout book two aswell.
Gahhh I love this story so much, it has kept me on my toes since book one and just kept me up there throughout book two aswell.
July 8, 2025
I did not think this series could be better than book one, because honestly, book one is like a 6 star read but FUCK, book 2!!!
The relationship between Aura and Lucais is top tier. I wasn’t even annoyed at the slowest of slow burns. And when that spice hit, let me tell you, it fucking HIT HARD 🥵
I found myself laughing or giggling a lot throughout this book and yes I did yell ‘EXCUSE ME?!’ at the end. Thanks for that cliffhanger Loren 🤣
Anyway, if you are looking for a book that is full of funny banter, slow burn, touch her and die energy, and let’s not forget the biggest twist of betrayal you’ve ever read, this is it.
✨ Quotes ✨
“Fucking kiss me, Auralie. Do not make me beg” “I’m not kissing an open wound -“ “On the mouth, you infernal vixen!”
“My mind is yours. My body is yours. You could slit my throat and I’d beg you to use my corpse as a shield or keep me as spare parts.”
“Aura, I’m the high fucking king of faerie. I don’t need to breathe air. I need you to sit on my face. Right. Now.”
The relationship between Aura and Lucais is top tier. I wasn’t even annoyed at the slowest of slow burns. And when that spice hit, let me tell you, it fucking HIT HARD 🥵
I found myself laughing or giggling a lot throughout this book and yes I did yell ‘EXCUSE ME?!’ at the end. Thanks for that cliffhanger Loren 🤣
Anyway, if you are looking for a book that is full of funny banter, slow burn, touch her and die energy, and let’s not forget the biggest twist of betrayal you’ve ever read, this is it.
✨ Quotes ✨
“Fucking kiss me, Auralie. Do not make me beg” “I’m not kissing an open wound -“ “On the mouth, you infernal vixen!”
“My mind is yours. My body is yours. You could slit my throat and I’d beg you to use my corpse as a shield or keep me as spare parts.”
“Aura, I’m the high fucking king of faerie. I don’t need to breathe air. I need you to sit on my face. Right. Now.”
August 1, 2025
Thank you so much to Loren for the ARC!
This is the second book in the Gift War Series, and holy forking shirt balls Batman she’s a ride.
I reflected on Loren’s writing style when I reviewed A House of Cloaks and Daggers, and I just want to take a hot minute to reflect on that again because boy does it scratch my brain.
The nods to the real world and bookish references mixed with the intricacies of the fae realms and politics is astounding and I loved it.
This book, is so action packed and the ending was so tense and anxiety provoking I couldn’t put it down and stayed up past midnight reading which is not something I often do these days, I’m pretty much a grandma and so set in my routine of 10.30 bed time 😂
Wrenlock, Lucais, and Aura are truly something else as a trio of… friends? Yeah. Friends. I loved it. I hated it. I loved it again. I screamed at them. I curled my toes. I got silly butterflies.
The banter NEVER missed. I love banter, it’s truly something that makes a book a 5 star read for me and Loren nails that so hard. Flirty, spite fuelled, delicious banter 🤤
The cliffhanger… Loren if you read this you’re a sick human being and I love whatever is wrong with you 😂 because what the actual fuck are you KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW. This is the worst part of ARC reading. It’s not even out yet and I know I have to wait for the next book on THAT ENDING 😭 I hope your favourite snack gets discontinued for doing this to us (kidding, mostly) 😂
Justice for the unicorns, because that made me cry real ass tears 😭
I’m gonna come back to this book in another post with some quotes, because there are some real bangers and they deserve their own limelight, but in the meantime- I’ll leave you with this~
“Aura, I am (redacted). I don’t need to breathe air. I need you to sit on my face. Right. Now.”
*FERAL SCREAMING* 🥵🥵🥵
Go, go pick up A House of Cloaks and Daggers. PLEASE 😭 I need people to scream at about this 😭
This is the second book in the Gift War Series, and holy forking shirt balls Batman she’s a ride.
I reflected on Loren’s writing style when I reviewed A House of Cloaks and Daggers, and I just want to take a hot minute to reflect on that again because boy does it scratch my brain.
The nods to the real world and bookish references mixed with the intricacies of the fae realms and politics is astounding and I loved it.
This book, is so action packed and the ending was so tense and anxiety provoking I couldn’t put it down and stayed up past midnight reading which is not something I often do these days, I’m pretty much a grandma and so set in my routine of 10.30 bed time 😂
Wrenlock, Lucais, and Aura are truly something else as a trio of… friends? Yeah. Friends. I loved it. I hated it. I loved it again. I screamed at them. I curled my toes. I got silly butterflies.
The banter NEVER missed. I love banter, it’s truly something that makes a book a 5 star read for me and Loren nails that so hard. Flirty, spite fuelled, delicious banter 🤤
The cliffhanger… Loren if you read this you’re a sick human being and I love whatever is wrong with you 😂 because what the actual fuck are you KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW. This is the worst part of ARC reading. It’s not even out yet and I know I have to wait for the next book on THAT ENDING 😭 I hope your favourite snack gets discontinued for doing this to us (kidding, mostly) 😂
Justice for the unicorns, because that made me cry real ass tears 😭
I’m gonna come back to this book in another post with some quotes, because there are some real bangers and they deserve their own limelight, but in the meantime- I’ll leave you with this~
“Aura, I am (redacted). I don’t need to breathe air. I need you to sit on my face. Right. Now.”
*FERAL SCREAMING* 🥵🥵🥵
Go, go pick up A House of Cloaks and Daggers. PLEASE 😭 I need people to scream at about this 😭
July 31, 2025
3.75 rounded up to 4 🌟
Thank you for the ARC of A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors! I enjoyed diving back into this world and thought it was a solid follow up to A House of Cloaks and Daggers. The fae world deepens, the political tension is thicker and Aura’s choices feel even more complicated this time around. I liked the dark undertones and the emotional pull between her and Lucais, even when things got a lil messy.
Wren stood out more in this one too… He was mysterious, steady and layered in a way that made the emotional stakes between all three of them even stronger. Chaos is all I’ll say lol!
The pacing dragged a little in the middle for me and some moments felt a tiny repetitive, but the overall stakes kept me reading! Especially after about 45% things started to ramp up!!! It was also a nice extra to have the bonus chapters from the end of the first book!!
And that ending!!!!!?!? I definitely wasn’t prepared for that tbh. It hit hard and left me really curious to see where Loren takes things in book three!
A great read for people who enjoy morally grey characters, rich fae politics and a slow burn romance that keeps you guessing.
Thank you for the ARC of A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors! I enjoyed diving back into this world and thought it was a solid follow up to A House of Cloaks and Daggers. The fae world deepens, the political tension is thicker and Aura’s choices feel even more complicated this time around. I liked the dark undertones and the emotional pull between her and Lucais, even when things got a lil messy.
Wren stood out more in this one too… He was mysterious, steady and layered in a way that made the emotional stakes between all three of them even stronger. Chaos is all I’ll say lol!
The pacing dragged a little in the middle for me and some moments felt a tiny repetitive, but the overall stakes kept me reading! Especially after about 45% things started to ramp up!!! It was also a nice extra to have the bonus chapters from the end of the first book!!
And that ending!!!!!?!? I definitely wasn’t prepared for that tbh. It hit hard and left me really curious to see where Loren takes things in book three!
A great read for people who enjoy morally grey characters, rich fae politics and a slow burn romance that keeps you guessing.
July 19, 2025
Loren does it again! Goodness this woman knows how to write a tension filled fantasy with a complicated AF love story.
I have to say I love the intricacies of the plot - and the fact that there are multiple different sub plots going on at the same time. It’s intriguing and keeps you constantly guessing and trying to remember little details.
Loren’s stories are FAR from the cookie cutter romance tropes you get these days - you get delicious tension, and witty banter … and some spice 😉🔥🌶️
All in all - Loren definitely left my gasping at the very end and begging for the next book - but I love her and would let her break my heart any day of the week. I adore her and her characters!!
I have to say I love the intricacies of the plot - and the fact that there are multiple different sub plots going on at the same time. It’s intriguing and keeps you constantly guessing and trying to remember little details.
Loren’s stories are FAR from the cookie cutter romance tropes you get these days - you get delicious tension, and witty banter … and some spice 😉🔥🌶️
All in all - Loren definitely left my gasping at the very end and begging for the next book - but I love her and would let her break my heart any day of the week. I adore her and her characters!!
August 16, 2025
If you know me, you know that A House of Cloaks & Daggers, the first book in The Gift War series, is one of my favourite books of 2025 (yes I know the year isn’t over yet, but I loved it THAT much).
I have recently had the privilege of reading the sequel, A Palace of Smoke & Mirrors, and boy was it a wild ride.
The love triangle between Aura, Lucais and Wrenlock reached new heights in the sequel and I found myself drawn to both Lucais’ intensity and Wrenlock’s warmth.
The world that Loren has built is incredible, and I felt myself getting lost in the palace, cities and courts.
Without giving too much away, the mystery woven throughout the book kept me on the edge of my seat and the ending absolutely blew me away. It’s safe to say I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!
I have recently had the privilege of reading the sequel, A Palace of Smoke & Mirrors, and boy was it a wild ride.
The love triangle between Aura, Lucais and Wrenlock reached new heights in the sequel and I found myself drawn to both Lucais’ intensity and Wrenlock’s warmth.
The world that Loren has built is incredible, and I felt myself getting lost in the palace, cities and courts.
Without giving too much away, the mystery woven throughout the book kept me on the edge of my seat and the ending absolutely blew me away. It’s safe to say I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!
August 30, 2025
Thank you to Lauren for the gifted advance copy! 2.5 rounded up. I don’t know, maybe I just wasn’t in the most invested space with this one. I felt like it was longer than it needed to be, BUT, the last 30% was definitely plugging along, where I felt the rest of it was just - fine.
August 25, 2025
3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟⭐️
I really enjoyed AHOCAD and did enjoy APOSAM but it took me almost half way to truly get into the story. There were many parts that felt repetitive and others that I felt should’ve been drawn out more. I will definitely read the next book in the series as the ending left me wanting more but I am hoping the next books pulls me in right away.
I really enjoyed AHOCAD and did enjoy APOSAM but it took me almost half way to truly get into the story. There were many parts that felt repetitive and others that I felt should’ve been drawn out more. I will definitely read the next book in the series as the ending left me wanting more but I am hoping the next books pulls me in right away.
July 25, 2025
I need to get a few things out of the way before my SF Review…
1) Goddess Bless Loren. I need everyone to read this book so we can wallow together in misery and “WTF Just Happened”
Moments. I refuse to curse her name even tho she appears unapologetic for the aforementioned misery.
2) This book evaded second book syndrome by a mile. Or Kilometer for AU?
3) I really thought I knew where this tale was headed and I was right about 40% of it. My average is 80-90, so I am honestly spinning rn.
4) had to rearrange my Book BF ranking AGAIN!!! IYKYK
5) The amount of highlighting I did for passages of memorable content and fantastic one liners was simply silly.
Ok - spoiler free book review:
Palace didn’t disappoint. For purposes of writing a review- I wish I could lean into one aspect more than another, but I just can’t. I loved everything about it. The tropes (and the way she mocks the tropes), the wit, the banter, the slow burn, the plot, the suspense, the spice, the twists and even the cliffhanger.
My weakness is side characters and animals.. Elera is a treat, and I wish we could have more of her!!! The other side characters are wonderful (particularly Batre), my only wish is that there were more of them to know. I’m sure we will learn about the other rulers in the next book, but I’m dying to understand all the dynamics of the world she is building. This book is pretty singularly focused on the MCs and I kind of missed the other characters.
We cover a lot of ground in book 2, but I spent a lot of time wondering what the feck was happening… I understand that is intentional. Our POV is also confused, so it tracks that we spend a large chunk trying to figure out where we are going and why. I was really glad to leave a lot of Aura’s ridiculous assumptions and conclusions behind in book one. I appreciate that she grew in that way in this book. I’m also not mad that I am still utterly confused about many aspects of the journey… but I have full trust in Loren to wrap it all up in a tidy bow.
This book was full of suspense, humor (both dark and witty) and painful slow burn romance. The balance between dark and light subject matter is so tasteful that you don’t even realize you’re on a rollercoaster of emotions until you look up and you’re exhausted.
PS
LOVED the bonus chapters
PSS
loved that Lucais is still a snarky flirt with serious trust issues. Don’t go changing.
We were gifted the ARC in exchange for nothing whatsoever other than an honest review if we were so inclined. Thank you Loren for trusting us with your baby. You did not disappoint. Well, you kind of did with that ending, but we are a forgiving sort. lol
1) Goddess Bless Loren. I need everyone to read this book so we can wallow together in misery and “WTF Just Happened”
Moments. I refuse to curse her name even tho she appears unapologetic for the aforementioned misery.
2) This book evaded second book syndrome by a mile. Or Kilometer for AU?
3) I really thought I knew where this tale was headed and I was right about 40% of it. My average is 80-90, so I am honestly spinning rn.
4) had to rearrange my Book BF ranking AGAIN!!! IYKYK
5) The amount of highlighting I did for passages of memorable content and fantastic one liners was simply silly.
Ok - spoiler free book review:
Palace didn’t disappoint. For purposes of writing a review- I wish I could lean into one aspect more than another, but I just can’t. I loved everything about it. The tropes (and the way she mocks the tropes), the wit, the banter, the slow burn, the plot, the suspense, the spice, the twists and even the cliffhanger.
My weakness is side characters and animals.. Elera is a treat, and I wish we could have more of her!!! The other side characters are wonderful (particularly Batre), my only wish is that there were more of them to know. I’m sure we will learn about the other rulers in the next book, but I’m dying to understand all the dynamics of the world she is building. This book is pretty singularly focused on the MCs and I kind of missed the other characters.
We cover a lot of ground in book 2, but I spent a lot of time wondering what the feck was happening… I understand that is intentional. Our POV is also confused, so it tracks that we spend a large chunk trying to figure out where we are going and why. I was really glad to leave a lot of Aura’s ridiculous assumptions and conclusions behind in book one. I appreciate that she grew in that way in this book. I’m also not mad that I am still utterly confused about many aspects of the journey… but I have full trust in Loren to wrap it all up in a tidy bow.
This book was full of suspense, humor (both dark and witty) and painful slow burn romance. The balance between dark and light subject matter is so tasteful that you don’t even realize you’re on a rollercoaster of emotions until you look up and you’re exhausted.
PS
LOVED the bonus chapters
PSS
loved that Lucais is still a snarky flirt with serious trust issues. Don’t go changing.
We were gifted the ARC in exchange for nothing whatsoever other than an honest review if we were so inclined. Thank you Loren for trusting us with your baby. You did not disappoint. Well, you kind of did with that ending, but we are a forgiving sort. lol
July 24, 2025
I'm always worried when I write reviews for my favourite reads that I won't do them justice and I will start this one by saying it is absolutely one of my favourite reads! I love the way Loren tells a story - and I was thrilled to dive back in to Faerie with Aura, Wren and Lucais.
We resume where book 1 left off more or less, with Aura and the High King on their way to Caeludor, the royal city. Poor Aura is still full of rage and receiving just enough information to keep her frustrated, with Lucais controlling the flow information to try and keep her safe.
Lucais provides us with oodles of highlightable (is this a word?) passages - he's snarky, sometimes mean, but always hilarious and I was giggling, rolling my eyes and kicking my feet all the way through.
Wren remains my second favourite MMC, he's sweet and supportive but he doesn't give me the same swoony feels as his counterpart.
I loved seeing Morgoya and Batre again, we get some great inner circle vibes from these two, and we have a few other supporting character from book 1 returning as well as meeting some new ones.
APOSAM gives us more back story for all of our MCs, and let me tell you, there were some parts that broke my heart. I loved learning more about Faerie just as much as I did learning about Aura, Lucais and Wren.
It wouldn't be a Loren Little book without a few good twists, a gut punch of a cliffhanger and some devastation in the last part of the story and honestly, I ate it up! I'll be thinking about this book for a long time and wondering where the story will go next!
We resume where book 1 left off more or less, with Aura and the High King on their way to Caeludor, the royal city. Poor Aura is still full of rage and receiving just enough information to keep her frustrated, with Lucais controlling the flow information to try and keep her safe.
Lucais provides us with oodles of highlightable (is this a word?) passages - he's snarky, sometimes mean, but always hilarious and I was giggling, rolling my eyes and kicking my feet all the way through.
Wren remains my second favourite MMC, he's sweet and supportive but he doesn't give me the same swoony feels as his counterpart.
I loved seeing Morgoya and Batre again, we get some great inner circle vibes from these two, and we have a few other supporting character from book 1 returning as well as meeting some new ones.
APOSAM gives us more back story for all of our MCs, and let me tell you, there were some parts that broke my heart. I loved learning more about Faerie just as much as I did learning about Aura, Lucais and Wren.
It wouldn't be a Loren Little book without a few good twists, a gut punch of a cliffhanger and some devastation in the last part of the story and honestly, I ate it up! I'll be thinking about this book for a long time and wondering where the story will go next!
July 31, 2025
LOREN! WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ENDING?!
I had waited with bated breath for APOSAM, the second book in The Gift War series, following A House of Cloaks & Daggers. My brain melted, I hyperventilated, and I was totally ruined for the rest of the day after finishing. This is one of my favourite books I've ever read.
Loren brings us back into the world of Faerie, picking up a short while after the end of AHOCAD, and drops us right back into the action, the banter, the secrets, and the eye-rolling. The world building continues to be phenomenal, building on what we've already learned of this realm. Little pieces are released to us bit by bit, forcing us to try and put it all together - but trust me, you'll be wrong. Completely wrong. The story takes so many twists and turns, I was left reeling.
Other than Lucais (IYKYK), I can't even pick one thing that was my favourite - this book is simply something special.
Lucais continues to be a jerk to Aura, while Wrenlock pines and broods, and I wondered at first just how this was going to play out. BOY DID IT PLAY OUT!! I am thrilled, surprised, scandaled, and desperately waiting for the next book. There are so many side plots, phenomenal side characters (I especially love Batre), and *chef's kiss* spice. I can usually figure out where the plot is going, but I still feel completely blindsided and have absolutely no idea what is going to happen next.
There is really nothing more I can say to adequately express just how amazing this book is... so you'll need to go read it yourself. You won't be disappointed.
Thank you so much to Loren for the eARC! My opinions are my own.
I had waited with bated breath for APOSAM, the second book in The Gift War series, following A House of Cloaks & Daggers. My brain melted, I hyperventilated, and I was totally ruined for the rest of the day after finishing. This is one of my favourite books I've ever read.
Loren brings us back into the world of Faerie, picking up a short while after the end of AHOCAD, and drops us right back into the action, the banter, the secrets, and the eye-rolling. The world building continues to be phenomenal, building on what we've already learned of this realm. Little pieces are released to us bit by bit, forcing us to try and put it all together - but trust me, you'll be wrong. Completely wrong. The story takes so many twists and turns, I was left reeling.
Other than Lucais (IYKYK), I can't even pick one thing that was my favourite - this book is simply something special.
Lucais continues to be a jerk to Aura, while Wrenlock pines and broods, and I wondered at first just how this was going to play out. BOY DID IT PLAY OUT!! I am thrilled, surprised, scandaled, and desperately waiting for the next book. There are so many side plots, phenomenal side characters (I especially love Batre), and *chef's kiss* spice. I can usually figure out where the plot is going, but I still feel completely blindsided and have absolutely no idea what is going to happen next.
There is really nothing more I can say to adequately express just how amazing this book is... so you'll need to go read it yourself. You won't be disappointed.
Thank you so much to Loren for the eARC! My opinions are my own.
July 30, 2025
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I can’t tell if I finished this book, or if this book finished me. I absolutely love the world, courts and characters of this book. I enjoyed book one immensely and book two did NOT disappoint! I felt every emotion reading this and even had to set it down and walk away for a few minutes. I was so immersed in what was happening I was getting upset as if it was happening to me. Loren’s banter makes me laugh every single time, and I live for the push and pull between characters. The snide comments make me smile every single time and totally make up for the emotional damage. I was NOT prepared for that ending and it kills me that I have to wait for the next book to find out what happens. If you love enemies to lovers, fated mates, and enough twists and turns to make you feel like an owl, you definitely need to add this to your TBR!!
I can’t tell if I finished this book, or if this book finished me. I absolutely love the world, courts and characters of this book. I enjoyed book one immensely and book two did NOT disappoint! I felt every emotion reading this and even had to set it down and walk away for a few minutes. I was so immersed in what was happening I was getting upset as if it was happening to me. Loren’s banter makes me laugh every single time, and I live for the push and pull between characters. The snide comments make me smile every single time and totally make up for the emotional damage. I was NOT prepared for that ending and it kills me that I have to wait for the next book to find out what happens. If you love enemies to lovers, fated mates, and enough twists and turns to make you feel like an owl, you definitely need to add this to your TBR!!
Read
July 10, 2025I was kindly gifted an ARC of this book.
This is even better than the first book, this book broke me and put me back together. I howled with laughter, I cried, and I again wanted to slap some of the characters (trying to keep this review spoiler free), because they're so annoying and annoyingly lovable.
The plot twists and revelation as well as the cliffhanger are even more devastating and beautifully written than the first book.
I love how Loren writes, how she uses words to describe situations, feelings things in an unusual way. Or at least unusual for a non-native English reader like me. This makes the reading experience more challenging, but in the best way possible.
There's not a single thing I don't love about this book and I'm throughly in love with the world Loren has created.
This is even better than the first book, this book broke me and put me back together. I howled with laughter, I cried, and I again wanted to slap some of the characters (trying to keep this review spoiler free), because they're so annoying and annoyingly lovable.
The plot twists and revelation as well as the cliffhanger are even more devastating and beautifully written than the first book.
I love how Loren writes, how she uses words to describe situations, feelings things in an unusual way. Or at least unusual for a non-native English reader like me. This makes the reading experience more challenging, but in the best way possible.
There's not a single thing I don't love about this book and I'm throughly in love with the world Loren has created.
August 1, 2025
Just finished it. Need to scream into the void and process before writing a review.
_______________
Alright. I have ✨somewhat✨ processed the book...
I've said it before, I'm not one for conspiracy theories when it comes to books and I don't ever analyze and overanalyze things unless I'm on a reread and know all the details... but man, my brain had to be ON for this plot, and I don't get paid to think in the summer. Now I'm off to reread books 1 & 2 so I can stay in the beautiful Faerie world Loren has created.
A Palace of Smoke & Mirrors is book 2 in The Gift Wars series. If you haven't read book 1, A House of Cloak & Daggers, you need to read it... like, yesterday. I read book 1 a few weeks ago, and thought my brain was adequately prepared for all the twists and turns and whatnot for APOSAM. I was very much wrong.
In short, if you like:
🦄 (Extremely) Slow burn
🦄 EXTRA HOT SPICE
🦄 Extremely descriptive writing
🦄 World building that is unlike other Fae books
🦄 Twists and turns that I think even the most intuitive readers won't see (I saw the twist in book 1, but the ones in book 2? Never.)
🦄 Unicorns
...you need to pick up this book.
Long version and a glimpse into the inner-workings of my brain:
The extremely slow burn? Diabolically delicious. The spice? It's spicin'... like real hot... like, at least ghost (😉 iykyk) pepper hot. The banter? Still amazing. The best. Living for it. Not one, but TWO MMCs who love our FMC? Yes, please. Nicknames and phrases that have unlocked a new kink in me? Whoops. Backstory that will rip your heart in two? Check. An author who apologizes IN ADVANCE for the damage she will do? I guess sign me up.
I thoroughly enjoy Loren's writing style. Aura's inner-monologue and how she works through things is soooo similar in the way my spicy brain works. Because of this, I am able to fully immerse myself into the world of Faerie Loren has so brilliantly created.
Thank you, Loren, for the opportunity to read this ARC, and for the trust you have put in us, your readers, to scream from the mountain tops to beg others to go through the heartbreak I am sure you will inflict over and over again.
Favorite Quotes
"You wound me," he lamented. "I wish," I mumbled in reply.
"I like it better when you hate me." "I hate what you do to me"
"If the two of you are quite finished with your extraordinarily long and unorthodox foreplay,..."
"My soul is woven together with auburn-coloured thread, Aura."
"It will rearrange my internal organs. I'll end up in a hospital..."
"I'm sick with obsession. It's been extremely inconvenient, actually."
_______________
Alright. I have ✨somewhat✨ processed the book...
I've said it before, I'm not one for conspiracy theories when it comes to books and I don't ever analyze and overanalyze things unless I'm on a reread and know all the details... but man, my brain had to be ON for this plot, and I don't get paid to think in the summer. Now I'm off to reread books 1 & 2 so I can stay in the beautiful Faerie world Loren has created.
A Palace of Smoke & Mirrors is book 2 in The Gift Wars series. If you haven't read book 1, A House of Cloak & Daggers, you need to read it... like, yesterday. I read book 1 a few weeks ago, and thought my brain was adequately prepared for all the twists and turns and whatnot for APOSAM. I was very much wrong.
In short, if you like:
🦄 (Extremely) Slow burn
🦄 EXTRA HOT SPICE
🦄 Extremely descriptive writing
🦄 World building that is unlike other Fae books
🦄 Twists and turns that I think even the most intuitive readers won't see (I saw the twist in book 1, but the ones in book 2? Never.)
🦄 Unicorns
...you need to pick up this book.
Long version and a glimpse into the inner-workings of my brain:
The extremely slow burn? Diabolically delicious. The spice? It's spicin'... like real hot... like, at least ghost (😉 iykyk) pepper hot. The banter? Still amazing. The best. Living for it. Not one, but TWO MMCs who love our FMC? Yes, please. Nicknames and phrases that have unlocked a new kink in me? Whoops. Backstory that will rip your heart in two? Check. An author who apologizes IN ADVANCE for the damage she will do? I guess sign me up.
I thoroughly enjoy Loren's writing style. Aura's inner-monologue and how she works through things is soooo similar in the way my spicy brain works. Because of this, I am able to fully immerse myself into the world of Faerie Loren has so brilliantly created.
Thank you, Loren, for the opportunity to read this ARC, and for the trust you have put in us, your readers, to scream from the mountain tops to beg others to go through the heartbreak I am sure you will inflict over and over again.
Favorite Quotes
"You wound me," he lamented. "I wish," I mumbled in reply.
"I like it better when you hate me." "I hate what you do to me"
"If the two of you are quite finished with your extraordinarily long and unorthodox foreplay,..."
"My soul is woven together with auburn-coloured thread, Aura."
"It will rearrange my internal organs. I'll end up in a hospital..."
"I'm sick with obsession. It's been extremely inconvenient, actually."
August 8, 2025
LOREN!!!!! What the hell was THAT???
Loren is the queen of the cliffhanger. If you thought book one was bad… you’ve got another thing coming.
I was so invested in this story and how all of the characters grew both individually and in their relationships with each other. But that plot twist??? BRO WHAT??? I will say that I’m usually able to spot a twist from 42 miles away but this one?? It smacked me in the face.
Lucais’s personality and humor really got to shine in this book. With lines like, “Unhand me, you crispy slices of mutton!” How could I not love him?
This story was beautifully written and plunges you into the world of Faerie. I love how Loren writes and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 3!!
Loren is the queen of the cliffhanger. If you thought book one was bad… you’ve got another thing coming.
I was so invested in this story and how all of the characters grew both individually and in their relationships with each other. But that plot twist??? BRO WHAT??? I will say that I’m usually able to spot a twist from 42 miles away but this one?? It smacked me in the face.
Lucais’s personality and humor really got to shine in this book. With lines like, “Unhand me, you crispy slices of mutton!” How could I not love him?
This story was beautifully written and plunges you into the world of Faerie. I love how Loren writes and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 3!!
July 12, 2025
Me throughout the whole book
😡🤔🥹🥵🥺😡😔🥰😅🫣😡🥹😡🤯😤🤬
Okay, so, like, Loren what the hell?!??!
It might’ve taken me less than twenty-four hours to finish this, but I know for a fact that this world, these words and Lucais Starfire aren’t leaving me anytime soon.
This book got under my skin in the best and worst ways. I felt everything. Loren Little has a way of writing that makes it feel like you’re right there, living every moment beside the characters. Her words aren’t just beautiful, they hit.
And the emotional gut punch she delivers at the end? I still haven’t recovered. (If you don’t listen to distraction - sleep token at the end YOURE MISSING OUT)
This was an easy six-star read for me. Absolutely unforgettable. Every chapter had me holding my breath, flipping pages like I was chasing something.
And now I’m sitting here torn between thanking Loren and yelling at her.
Because seriously!!! how do I go back to normal life after this?
If you’re even thinking about picking this one up—do it. Just be prepared to lose sleep, cry a little, and fall head over heels. OH and want to murder someone 👀
😡🤔🥹🥵🥺😡😔🥰😅🫣😡🥹😡🤯😤🤬
Okay, so, like, Loren what the hell?!??!
It might’ve taken me less than twenty-four hours to finish this, but I know for a fact that this world, these words and Lucais Starfire aren’t leaving me anytime soon.
This book got under my skin in the best and worst ways. I felt everything. Loren Little has a way of writing that makes it feel like you’re right there, living every moment beside the characters. Her words aren’t just beautiful, they hit.
And the emotional gut punch she delivers at the end? I still haven’t recovered. (If you don’t listen to distraction - sleep token at the end YOURE MISSING OUT)
This was an easy six-star read for me. Absolutely unforgettable. Every chapter had me holding my breath, flipping pages like I was chasing something.
And now I’m sitting here torn between thanking Loren and yelling at her.
Because seriously!!! how do I go back to normal life after this?
If you’re even thinking about picking this one up—do it. Just be prepared to lose sleep, cry a little, and fall head over heels. OH and want to murder someone 👀
September 15, 2025
Oh my spice! If you found yourself torn between MMCs in book 1....well, you'll see 😂 Again, I loved Loren's world building, and blend of "human world" and fantasy. SOOOOO MUCH drama and tension. And plot twists!!!!!!! Oh, good luck, reader. This one's a ride.
I did have some (I think, intentional) confusion in some moments, reflective of how little the FMC understands what is truly happening. She knows so little of this world and is kept in the dark about a lot of information. Overall, the plot is super interesting and I really look forward to seeing where the story goes as the series continues.
I do recommend having recently read book one of the series if your memory is terrible like mine.
Thank you to Loren Little for the review copy. All opinions are my own and voluntarily shared.
I did have some (I think, intentional) confusion in some moments, reflective of how little the FMC understands what is truly happening. She knows so little of this world and is kept in the dark about a lot of information. Overall, the plot is super interesting and I really look forward to seeing where the story goes as the series continues.
I do recommend having recently read book one of the series if your memory is terrible like mine.
Thank you to Loren Little for the review copy. All opinions are my own and voluntarily shared.
August 7, 2025
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?!
After learning so much with Auralie at the end of A House of Cloaks and Daggers, as well as that cliffhanger of an ending, I have been (not so patiently) waiting for A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors. And Loren did NOT disappoint! We move with Aura, Wren, and Lucais to the High King's palace in the city, and poor Aura arrives still glamoured and chained. Which, fair, given the ending of book 1. But she just wants the truth. And sadly Lucais is a master with words to make her believe anything, even a lie.
I honestly was giggling at her "temper tantrum" when they arrived at the palace, just breaking all the trinkets laying around (though my first giggle came with the Author's Note right at the beginning). And while the staff might be trying to get her to stop, Lucais is more than okay letting her destroy his belongings. She finally calms down after throwing a sword, directly into the best of an unsuspecting fae (the unintended mvrder really put a damper on her anger). This fae WILL come back into the story in a big way much later.
Aura seems to have a block on her magic, unable to access any of it during much of this story. I was happy to see the return of Morgoya and Batre, specifically helping Aura learn about the different types of magic that fae can access, and trying to get her to use something. She learns much more about her background and heritage, and that she might just be too late to return to her old life as she knew it.
The slooooow burn in this story! Aura really hates that Lucais will not tell her things, and he seems to hate just how much he loves her. She learns just what is required to seal their mating bond, and is very reluctant to do so. Not because she's not attracted, because she DEFINITELY is, but she also has deep feelings for Wrenlock, whom she spent the entirety of book one believing WAS her mate. But each kiss she shared with the real Lucais was SOOOO HOTT!! They definitely have a lot of chemistry, and he still is willing to do anything to protect her. When it comes down to the actual sealing of their bond, Lucais finally determines that she might be more comfortable with it if Wrenlock was involved as well... which leads to some of the steamiest scenes I've ever read!
Throughout this story, Aura learns more about just how stretched thin Lucais is with his magic, despite being very powerful. He might be doing too much, and something's gotta give. Especially with his plan with the caenim and the 'thing' in the lapsus. Finally, we end with a HUGE betrayal, Aura learning the truth of her visions of Lucais being t0rtured, and that pesky fae who Aura accidentally k!lled comes back. And SHE LEAVES US HERE! Loren, how long until book 3 is ready???
I laughed and cackled, I squealed and kicked my feet, and gasped through this whole story. I NEED THE NEXT ONE NOW!
Some favorite quotes (there's a LOT):
His voice was smooth as velvet and sweet as honey. I wanted to take a vegetable peeler to his throat so it could never send warm shivers down my spine again.
He was too beautiful to be so cruel.
"The High King of Liars." "The High Queen of Beasts." (aww, nicknames)
Guilt roared deep in my belly, devouring the scene with wicked delight. It was a greedy, starving beast I had been feeding all my life.
"I fell in love with the fire in your soul."
"How do you turn you off?" "I don't know. You really only seem capable of turning me on."
It was his word against mine--his sketchy morals against my broken compass.
"I am never going to love you like that, Aura." Tears threatened to pool in my eyes at the sacred vow. I blinked them away. "Then how are you going to love me?" I dared him. "In whatever way you want to be loved," he whispered. "Even if that means not loving you at all."
I didn't want a throne. I didn't want a mate. I didn't want a crown.
Is there any proof that soulmates are promises of happiness?
"You will touch her over my d3ad body, and then you will fight my ghost to take her."
The truth was a cruel mistress.
"What exactly is it about me that gave you the impression that I'm a golden retriever boyfriend? Please do let me know so I can take the necessary steps to correct the dreadful misapprehension you've apparently been under this whole time."
"My mind is yours. My body is yours. You could sl!t my throat and I'd beg you to use my c0rpse as a shield or keep me for spare parts. My soul is woven together with auburn-colored thread, Aura. My kingdom is yours. My crown is yours. And if you want more than that? I'll break the treaty with the Underworld and steal the crown from the grave of the last known Dragon Master who had it."
"Lucais." "Yes, bookworm?" "I'm going to break your heart." "Auralie?" "Yes, Your Highness?" "I'm going to let you."
"We were made for each other."
... as I settled underneath the warm fabric and all of their soft touches and sweet words, I must have found the desire to sleep inside their safety.
"You'll have to forgive the clumsiness in my handling of our relationship. I'm sick with 0bession. It's been extremely inconvenient, actually."
"I love the way your töngue turns sweet for me."
Just give me one. That's all I need, and then we'll never have to do this again. I rolled my eyes at him before I closed them. Yeah, right. We were definitely going to do that again.
"Fvck, bookworm, think of all the drama we could've avoided if I'd known that all I had to do was f!ll you with my c*ck to get you to fvcking listen to me."
"I don't care what you do to keep yourself safe as long as it works. If there's a cost, I'll pay it tenfold." (the change to the absolute devotion in their words!!)
"You are, without a doubt, the worst thing that ever happened to me. But if anyone tried to change it, and they tried to take you back from the absolute train wreck that catapulted you into my life, I would hunt them to the end of the world. I would hold their hearts in my bare hands and squeeze until they threw you back to me, little beast."
My beautiful, lonely, haunted girl. The bane of my existence in the very same breath. My undoing.
If you love a dark fantasy romance with enemies to lovers, fae portal fantasy, faeries x humans, touch her and d!e (unless she asks), burn the world for her, and spicy slow burn, you need to check out A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors!
I received an advanced review copy for free. This review contains my honest opinion and is being left voluntarily.
After learning so much with Auralie at the end of A House of Cloaks and Daggers, as well as that cliffhanger of an ending, I have been (not so patiently) waiting for A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors. And Loren did NOT disappoint! We move with Aura, Wren, and Lucais to the High King's palace in the city, and poor Aura arrives still glamoured and chained. Which, fair, given the ending of book 1. But she just wants the truth. And sadly Lucais is a master with words to make her believe anything, even a lie.
I honestly was giggling at her "temper tantrum" when they arrived at the palace, just breaking all the trinkets laying around (though my first giggle came with the Author's Note right at the beginning). And while the staff might be trying to get her to stop, Lucais is more than okay letting her destroy his belongings. She finally calms down after throwing a sword, directly into the best of an unsuspecting fae (the unintended mvrder really put a damper on her anger). This fae WILL come back into the story in a big way much later.
Aura seems to have a block on her magic, unable to access any of it during much of this story. I was happy to see the return of Morgoya and Batre, specifically helping Aura learn about the different types of magic that fae can access, and trying to get her to use something. She learns much more about her background and heritage, and that she might just be too late to return to her old life as she knew it.
The slooooow burn in this story! Aura really hates that Lucais will not tell her things, and he seems to hate just how much he loves her. She learns just what is required to seal their mating bond, and is very reluctant to do so. Not because she's not attracted, because she DEFINITELY is, but she also has deep feelings for Wrenlock, whom she spent the entirety of book one believing WAS her mate. But each kiss she shared with the real Lucais was SOOOO HOTT!! They definitely have a lot of chemistry, and he still is willing to do anything to protect her. When it comes down to the actual sealing of their bond, Lucais finally determines that she might be more comfortable with it if Wrenlock was involved as well... which leads to some of the steamiest scenes I've ever read!
Throughout this story, Aura learns more about just how stretched thin Lucais is with his magic, despite being very powerful. He might be doing too much, and something's gotta give. Especially with his plan with the caenim and the 'thing' in the lapsus. Finally, we end with a HUGE betrayal, Aura learning the truth of her visions of Lucais being t0rtured, and that pesky fae who Aura accidentally k!lled comes back. And SHE LEAVES US HERE! Loren, how long until book 3 is ready???
I laughed and cackled, I squealed and kicked my feet, and gasped through this whole story. I NEED THE NEXT ONE NOW!
Some favorite quotes (there's a LOT):
His voice was smooth as velvet and sweet as honey. I wanted to take a vegetable peeler to his throat so it could never send warm shivers down my spine again.
He was too beautiful to be so cruel.
"The High King of Liars." "The High Queen of Beasts." (aww, nicknames)
Guilt roared deep in my belly, devouring the scene with wicked delight. It was a greedy, starving beast I had been feeding all my life.
"I fell in love with the fire in your soul."
"How do you turn you off?" "I don't know. You really only seem capable of turning me on."
It was his word against mine--his sketchy morals against my broken compass.
"I am never going to love you like that, Aura." Tears threatened to pool in my eyes at the sacred vow. I blinked them away. "Then how are you going to love me?" I dared him. "In whatever way you want to be loved," he whispered. "Even if that means not loving you at all."
I didn't want a throne. I didn't want a mate. I didn't want a crown.
Is there any proof that soulmates are promises of happiness?
"You will touch her over my d3ad body, and then you will fight my ghost to take her."
The truth was a cruel mistress.
"What exactly is it about me that gave you the impression that I'm a golden retriever boyfriend? Please do let me know so I can take the necessary steps to correct the dreadful misapprehension you've apparently been under this whole time."
"My mind is yours. My body is yours. You could sl!t my throat and I'd beg you to use my c0rpse as a shield or keep me for spare parts. My soul is woven together with auburn-colored thread, Aura. My kingdom is yours. My crown is yours. And if you want more than that? I'll break the treaty with the Underworld and steal the crown from the grave of the last known Dragon Master who had it."
"Lucais." "Yes, bookworm?" "I'm going to break your heart." "Auralie?" "Yes, Your Highness?" "I'm going to let you."
"We were made for each other."
... as I settled underneath the warm fabric and all of their soft touches and sweet words, I must have found the desire to sleep inside their safety.
"You'll have to forgive the clumsiness in my handling of our relationship. I'm sick with 0bession. It's been extremely inconvenient, actually."
"I love the way your töngue turns sweet for me."
Just give me one. That's all I need, and then we'll never have to do this again. I rolled my eyes at him before I closed them. Yeah, right. We were definitely going to do that again.
"Fvck, bookworm, think of all the drama we could've avoided if I'd known that all I had to do was f!ll you with my c*ck to get you to fvcking listen to me."
"I don't care what you do to keep yourself safe as long as it works. If there's a cost, I'll pay it tenfold." (the change to the absolute devotion in their words!!)
"You are, without a doubt, the worst thing that ever happened to me. But if anyone tried to change it, and they tried to take you back from the absolute train wreck that catapulted you into my life, I would hunt them to the end of the world. I would hold their hearts in my bare hands and squeeze until they threw you back to me, little beast."
My beautiful, lonely, haunted girl. The bane of my existence in the very same breath. My undoing.
If you love a dark fantasy romance with enemies to lovers, fae portal fantasy, faeries x humans, touch her and d!e (unless she asks), burn the world for her, and spicy slow burn, you need to check out A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors!
I received an advanced review copy for free. This review contains my honest opinion and is being left voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2025
I was blessed with the ARC read of this book, and oh Lordy!!! Loren you’ve simply done it again!!!
The way you write is incredible, I love your world building, the way you explain so many details that fill in little gaps for later, or from the previous book!
I loved every moment of being in Faerie, I think I’m going to re-read A House Of Cloaks and Daggers, and then this again!!!!! I need to find answers!
I again laughed, cried, and that ending GIRLLLL you’re in trouble!!! I simply CANNOT wait for the 3rd and then the final book in The Gift War series. I need to know what’s going to happen. I’m so invested!
I highly recommend this book, this series, and for everyone to get behind Loren as an author. Incredible writing, incredible stories. I hope you are so incredibly proud of yourself. I also hope after this series, you continue another world we can fall In love with 💗
“You don’t have to be my enemy, but I want nothing more than to be yours” 💀😮💨
The way you write is incredible, I love your world building, the way you explain so many details that fill in little gaps for later, or from the previous book!
I loved every moment of being in Faerie, I think I’m going to re-read A House Of Cloaks and Daggers, and then this again!!!!! I need to find answers!
I again laughed, cried, and that ending GIRLLLL you’re in trouble!!! I simply CANNOT wait for the 3rd and then the final book in The Gift War series. I need to know what’s going to happen. I’m so invested!
I highly recommend this book, this series, and for everyone to get behind Loren as an author. Incredible writing, incredible stories. I hope you are so incredibly proud of yourself. I also hope after this series, you continue another world we can fall In love with 💗
“You don’t have to be my enemy, but I want nothing more than to be yours” 💀😮💨
August 4, 2025
SCREAMING.
Loren does plot twists like NO other author I've ever read.
The first book is a ride, but this one? A whole rollercoaster.
Every time I thought i knew what was going to happen, BAM, it goes off a completely different way. But in a way that makes total sense once it hits. The little tiny easter eggs and tidbits thrown into the writing that seem insignificant, but then all come together eventually to form a pivotal twist is masterful.
Loren is officially going onto my list of auto buy authors, and I can't recommend this series enough.
Excuse me while I go stare at my wall and try not to throw my kindle.
Loren does plot twists like NO other author I've ever read.
The first book is a ride, but this one? A whole rollercoaster.
Every time I thought i knew what was going to happen, BAM, it goes off a completely different way. But in a way that makes total sense once it hits. The little tiny easter eggs and tidbits thrown into the writing that seem insignificant, but then all come together eventually to form a pivotal twist is masterful.
Loren is officially going onto my list of auto buy authors, and I can't recommend this series enough.
Excuse me while I go stare at my wall and try not to throw my kindle.
August 9, 2025
Here we go, I’ve spent the last few days trying to wrap my head around Loren Little’s second novel and sequel to A House of Cloaks and Daggers, which of course is A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors. I felt so many different emotions while reading and I am both equally speechless and have so much to say.
First and foremost, I am completely and utterly captivated by Loren’s devastatingly beautiful written words. She draws the reader in to her version of Faerie with vivid world building and characters that will worm their way into your heart and mind.
The character developments went deep in this book, we learn more about Lucais and how he is managing his duties as High King of Faerie, while simultaneously trying to keep himself together. We see more of a softer side to the High King, proving his not just a prickly asshole and a snarky flirt.. all the time. Aura stepped up and showed that she is still an absolute badass, giving the two High Fae males hell for what happened in book one. She also finally got the answers about her lineage that we were all consumed about in AHOCAD, but it didn’t go the way I thought it would when the answers were revealed. If my head was spinning constantly, I can’t even imagine how Aura was handling it. We got to see Wrenlock be himself as the Hand, rather than pretending to be the High King and become an important part to Aura and Lucais’ dynamic. He has his time to shine in this book, offering his support when Aura needs it and worked his ass off to redeem himself to her after the reveal at the end of book one.
I loved seeing Morgoya and Batre again in APOSAM, they are my top tier side couple. I love how they offer to help Aura understand magic and how she can begin to control it. I also want to mention Elera, because that unicorn deserves the entire world and I would die for her.
The banter was witty, hot and hilarious throughout the entire book. The push and pull between the trio was rife with tension, until the tension snapped and we got a delicious dose of relief thanks to Chapter’s 36 and 37. I did not expect it to happen the way it did but holy High Mother, I was all in!
The plot of APOSAM answered so many questions that were in AHOCAD, yet by the end, I had so many more that I was left reeling. Like Chapter 52, I’m looking at you and holding a dagger to YOUR throat. I was blindsided so fast that I had to re-read the paragraph and re-think about the whole book to see if there’s were any signs and I am left stumped, heartbroken and aching for more!
I will absolutely, 100%, recommend this book to any dark romantasy lovers because this series will sink its claws and fangs into you and refuse to let go. Loren Little is a mastermind at breaking her readers into little pieces and have them coming back for more each time.
I received A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors as an ARC and this review is my own. Thank you Loren ❤️
First and foremost, I am completely and utterly captivated by Loren’s devastatingly beautiful written words. She draws the reader in to her version of Faerie with vivid world building and characters that will worm their way into your heart and mind.
The character developments went deep in this book, we learn more about Lucais and how he is managing his duties as High King of Faerie, while simultaneously trying to keep himself together. We see more of a softer side to the High King, proving his not just a prickly asshole and a snarky flirt.. all the time. Aura stepped up and showed that she is still an absolute badass, giving the two High Fae males hell for what happened in book one. She also finally got the answers about her lineage that we were all consumed about in AHOCAD, but it didn’t go the way I thought it would when the answers were revealed. If my head was spinning constantly, I can’t even imagine how Aura was handling it. We got to see Wrenlock be himself as the Hand, rather than pretending to be the High King and become an important part to Aura and Lucais’ dynamic. He has his time to shine in this book, offering his support when Aura needs it and worked his ass off to redeem himself to her after the reveal at the end of book one.
I loved seeing Morgoya and Batre again in APOSAM, they are my top tier side couple. I love how they offer to help Aura understand magic and how she can begin to control it. I also want to mention Elera, because that unicorn deserves the entire world and I would die for her.
The banter was witty, hot and hilarious throughout the entire book. The push and pull between the trio was rife with tension, until the tension snapped and we got a delicious dose of relief thanks to Chapter’s 36 and 37. I did not expect it to happen the way it did but holy High Mother, I was all in!
The plot of APOSAM answered so many questions that were in AHOCAD, yet by the end, I had so many more that I was left reeling. Like Chapter 52, I’m looking at you and holding a dagger to YOUR throat. I was blindsided so fast that I had to re-read the paragraph and re-think about the whole book to see if there’s were any signs and I am left stumped, heartbroken and aching for more!
I will absolutely, 100%, recommend this book to any dark romantasy lovers because this series will sink its claws and fangs into you and refuse to let go. Loren Little is a mastermind at breaking her readers into little pieces and have them coming back for more each time.
I received A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors as an ARC and this review is my own. Thank you Loren ❤️
July 22, 2025
A Palace of Smoke and Mirrors is a continuation of Aura’s journey through the Faerie realm, and this sequel delivered everything I was hoping for and more.
We pick up right where book one left off, and from the very first page, I was instantly pulled back into the chaos. Aura’s still trying to find her footing after a brutal betrayal, and honestly? I felt every second of her confusion and pain. She’s caught between Lucais and Wren, trying to figure out who she can trust while the danger around her continues to grow and it makes everything feel so tense, and I LOVE tension.
Aura’s inner monologue feels so raw and relatable. I loved how Loren captures the uncertainty, the fear, and the gradual acceptance of her power. There’s something really grounding in the way Aura thinks and feels. She second guesses herself, she struggles, but she keeps going. Her growth is steady, and genuinely satisfying to follow.
This book is packed with slow burn romance, worldbuilding, and devastating twists that will leave you reeling. Like, emotionally unprepared and screaming into the void reeling.
The romantic tension in this book is real.
Lucais and Wren were both fascinating in their own ways, and their relationship with Aura is emotionally charged and messy in the most delicious way. There’s so much push and pull, and it never feels shallow or forced. The slow burn is executed perfectly—there’s tension, chemistry, vulnerability—and I loved how it simmered over the course of the book. The emotional tug of war between all three of them had me stressed in the best way possible.
The banter between Lucias and Aura in this book gave me life. It’s sharp, funny, and perfectly timed. There are so many laugh out loud moments that help balance the tension. The way humour is used to carve out moments of light (pun intended) in an otherwise emotionally intense story was so well done.
Loren you are the queen of cliffhangers, but what the hell was that ending?! I was not ready. I’ve been blindsided. I’m confused, and I’m very much not okay. I thought I was ready. I was so, so wrong.
This book is a perfect mix of fantasy, slow burn romance, humour, emotional depth and betrayal.
Loren Little continues to impress with writing that feels immersive, characters that stick with you, and a story that makes you so invested you physically need to know what happens next. Like, right now. GIVE ME BOOK THREE!
If you’re a fan of emotionally complex fantasy with spice and a whole lot of tension, don’t sleep on this series! Seriously. It deserves all the hype.
Actual Rating - 4.75 Stars
We pick up right where book one left off, and from the very first page, I was instantly pulled back into the chaos. Aura’s still trying to find her footing after a brutal betrayal, and honestly? I felt every second of her confusion and pain. She’s caught between Lucais and Wren, trying to figure out who she can trust while the danger around her continues to grow and it makes everything feel so tense, and I LOVE tension.
Aura’s inner monologue feels so raw and relatable. I loved how Loren captures the uncertainty, the fear, and the gradual acceptance of her power. There’s something really grounding in the way Aura thinks and feels. She second guesses herself, she struggles, but she keeps going. Her growth is steady, and genuinely satisfying to follow.
This book is packed with slow burn romance, worldbuilding, and devastating twists that will leave you reeling. Like, emotionally unprepared and screaming into the void reeling.
The romantic tension in this book is real.
Lucais and Wren were both fascinating in their own ways, and their relationship with Aura is emotionally charged and messy in the most delicious way. There’s so much push and pull, and it never feels shallow or forced. The slow burn is executed perfectly—there’s tension, chemistry, vulnerability—and I loved how it simmered over the course of the book. The emotional tug of war between all three of them had me stressed in the best way possible.
The banter between Lucias and Aura in this book gave me life. It’s sharp, funny, and perfectly timed. There are so many laugh out loud moments that help balance the tension. The way humour is used to carve out moments of light (pun intended) in an otherwise emotionally intense story was so well done.
Loren you are the queen of cliffhangers, but what the hell was that ending?! I was not ready. I’ve been blindsided. I’m confused, and I’m very much not okay. I thought I was ready. I was so, so wrong.
This book is a perfect mix of fantasy, slow burn romance, humour, emotional depth and betrayal.
Loren Little continues to impress with writing that feels immersive, characters that stick with you, and a story that makes you so invested you physically need to know what happens next. Like, right now. GIVE ME BOOK THREE!
If you’re a fan of emotionally complex fantasy with spice and a whole lot of tension, don’t sleep on this series! Seriously. It deserves all the hype.
Actual Rating - 4.75 Stars
October 11, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Auralie has been bullied, betrayed and bossed around and she is fed up so when the high king of Faerie tells her they are going to the city of light, she reaches out to the buried magic within, to flee. With a price on her head, a prophecy to fulfill, a land on the edge of disaster and a fated mate to resist, Aura must face her past to learn who she really is, the secrets kept hidden and the lies the Faerie manage to tell.
⚡️More twists and turns than you think possible
⚡️Spicy enemies to lovers/friends to lovers/so many other things lol
⚡️Incredible world building and character growth
⚡️Absolute rollercoaster
⚡️She is a thick book and so perfect...
What.. why... wow... and I thought book 1 killed me with its cliffhanger, this one tops it. The amount of twists and turns in this book makes me feel like a wrung out dishcloth.... in the bestest way!
Starting where we left off from House of Cloaks and Daggers I was really interested to see where Loren was going to take this story and even though it didn't go as I expected, I believe she took it in the right direction. Everything I loved about book 1 was here in book 2 and there was even more of it. This book is a chonkster and I loved every second reading it!
The characters I love so much make a return and we get to meet a few more, we also get a whole lot more backstory which is absolutely adored! And the character growth was phenomenal!
But my favourite thing about APOSAM is the the twists that just keep coming. Some of them I guess, one massive one had me shouting and jumping around screaming "I knew it, I f**king knew it! That motherf**king f**kface" (that's a direct -censored- quote by the way). And some of them had me utterly floored where I had to put the book down and be like... "omfg!". There really was a lot of swearing in my reactions lol.
Honestly if you loved AHOCAD, you will absolutely adore APOSAM. I tried to keep this review relatively short in the attempt to not give anything away because godamn, the rollercoaster that is this book is worth every godamn curse that came rushing from my mouth! Just an utterly fan-f**king-tastic sequel! (Also the bonus scenes at the end are beyond perfect, taking place in between the 2 books but MUST be read AFTER number 2!!)
Auralie has been bullied, betrayed and bossed around and she is fed up so when the high king of Faerie tells her they are going to the city of light, she reaches out to the buried magic within, to flee. With a price on her head, a prophecy to fulfill, a land on the edge of disaster and a fated mate to resist, Aura must face her past to learn who she really is, the secrets kept hidden and the lies the Faerie manage to tell.
⚡️More twists and turns than you think possible
⚡️Spicy enemies to lovers/friends to lovers/so many other things lol
⚡️Incredible world building and character growth
⚡️Absolute rollercoaster
⚡️She is a thick book and so perfect...
What.. why... wow... and I thought book 1 killed me with its cliffhanger, this one tops it. The amount of twists and turns in this book makes me feel like a wrung out dishcloth.... in the bestest way!
Starting where we left off from House of Cloaks and Daggers I was really interested to see where Loren was going to take this story and even though it didn't go as I expected, I believe she took it in the right direction. Everything I loved about book 1 was here in book 2 and there was even more of it. This book is a chonkster and I loved every second reading it!
The characters I love so much make a return and we get to meet a few more, we also get a whole lot more backstory which is absolutely adored! And the character growth was phenomenal!
But my favourite thing about APOSAM is the the twists that just keep coming. Some of them I guess, one massive one had me shouting and jumping around screaming "I knew it, I f**king knew it! That motherf**king f**kface" (that's a direct -censored- quote by the way). And some of them had me utterly floored where I had to put the book down and be like... "omfg!". There really was a lot of swearing in my reactions lol.
Honestly if you loved AHOCAD, you will absolutely adore APOSAM. I tried to keep this review relatively short in the attempt to not give anything away because godamn, the rollercoaster that is this book is worth every godamn curse that came rushing from my mouth! Just an utterly fan-f**king-tastic sequel! (Also the bonus scenes at the end are beyond perfect, taking place in between the 2 books but MUST be read AFTER number 2!!)
July 30, 2025
A Palace of Smoke & Mirrors
By Lorna Little
My Rating: 4.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
Spice: 3
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Emotional Damage: 5
💔💔💔💔💔
* Dark Romance
* Dark Fantasy
* Tragic
* Enemies to Lovers
* Betrayal
* Faerie Portal Fantasy
* Fated Mates
* Love Triangle
Please don’t mind me rocking back and forth in the corner, it is just the ending….
Oh man, my heart definitely took a beating read this one! Every time things seemed to look up something so much worse happened. I so scared for book three, it feels like there is no way Aura will be able to have a happy ending 😭
A Palace Of Smoke And Mirrors is a propulsive read, though it start is a little slow it soon speeds up into a gripping page turner, that is addictive, with many twists & turns, heartbreak, tragedy and story much darker than the first book.
I really enjoyed the history and lore of Faerie and the Gift War that was given in this book. Not to mention the sad backstory of Aura herself.
Though I must say I am so glad that I was given a digital copy of this arc rather than physical because the amount of tears I cried while reading it would have damaged it irreversibly by the end…
Let’s take about the end because it broke my heart into a million pieces and then poured lemon juice on to them.
If you have read the first book in the Gift War Series I would highly suggest you read this book though be ready for the heartache.
💔Release August 1st💔
Before reading please check triggers and look after yourself mental health ♥️
~ TW/CW: Explicit Languag & Sex Scenes,
Death/Accidental Murder, Blood & Gore, War & Battle, Patricide, Abandonment (themes), Polyamory (themes), Disaster/End of the World (themes, visions), Domestic & Family Violence (off the page, recollection), War Crimes (off the page, recollection), Cruelty to Creatures/Animals (off the page, recollection, in the context of war), Child Abuse & Neglect (off the page, recollection), Death of a Child/Stillbirth (off the page, recollection), Suicide (off the page, recollection), Passive Suicidal Ideation
By Lorna Little
My Rating: 4.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
Spice: 3
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Emotional Damage: 5
💔💔💔💔💔
* Dark Romance
* Dark Fantasy
* Tragic
* Enemies to Lovers
* Betrayal
* Faerie Portal Fantasy
* Fated Mates
* Love Triangle
Please don’t mind me rocking back and forth in the corner, it is just the ending….
Oh man, my heart definitely took a beating read this one! Every time things seemed to look up something so much worse happened. I so scared for book three, it feels like there is no way Aura will be able to have a happy ending 😭
A Palace Of Smoke And Mirrors is a propulsive read, though it start is a little slow it soon speeds up into a gripping page turner, that is addictive, with many twists & turns, heartbreak, tragedy and story much darker than the first book.
I really enjoyed the history and lore of Faerie and the Gift War that was given in this book. Not to mention the sad backstory of Aura herself.
Though I must say I am so glad that I was given a digital copy of this arc rather than physical because the amount of tears I cried while reading it would have damaged it irreversibly by the end…
Let’s take about the end because it broke my heart into a million pieces and then poured lemon juice on to them.
If you have read the first book in the Gift War Series I would highly suggest you read this book though be ready for the heartache.
💔Release August 1st💔
Before reading please check triggers and look after yourself mental health ♥️
~ TW/CW: Explicit Languag & Sex Scenes,
Death/Accidental Murder, Blood & Gore, War & Battle, Patricide, Abandonment (themes), Polyamory (themes), Disaster/End of the World (themes, visions), Domestic & Family Violence (off the page, recollection), War Crimes (off the page, recollection), Cruelty to Creatures/Animals (off the page, recollection, in the context of war), Child Abuse & Neglect (off the page, recollection), Death of a Child/Stillbirth (off the page, recollection), Suicide (off the page, recollection), Passive Suicidal Ideation
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2025
Thank you again to the Author Loren Little for the emotional damage but also for probably one of my favorite new adult fantasy series.
There is just something about getting your heart ripped out and enjoying every second of it that makes a girl smile. 😂
Reader Beware, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK unless you are prepared for emotional turmoil and heart break. 💔 But absolutely do read this book and the first book because it's was totally worth every gasp, angry scream and tear I shed!
Oh don't mind me, I'm just sitting here silently sobbing after having my heart ripped out not once with this series but twice!
I'm seriously doubting if Auralie will ever get a HEA at this point which I'm not mad about because apparently I love to torture myself lol.
The first book did a fantastic job of building up not only an incredibly rich magical world but aIso the relationships and tension between Auralie, Lucais and
Wrenlock but this book.. Whoa this book just exploded with it! And the way this story progressed in this sequel absolutely shattered me! Loren writes emotional damage like it's fine art.
I will say I was pleasantly surprised with the turn of events certain relatinships took after all the build up.
The ultimate climax (pun intended) was so much fun to read and definitely made up for the way Loren pulled my heart of my chest and crushed it under her characters boots
Favorite Quotes:
“I can lie about a lot of things, Aura. I can twirl and curtsy my way around and in between languages to trick anyone into believing things that are not true—anything but the fact that I am in love with you. That’s so obvious, I’m almost ready to give up the notion that rejecting you will protect you if I fail.”
“Lucais.”
“Yes, bookworm?”
“I’m going to break your heart.”
“Auralie?”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“I’m going to let you.”
"I couldn’t explain it. Wrenlock felt like coming home, but so did Lucais."
"Maybe I needed both of them to pull me back from the brink of my inevitable darkness."
There is just something about getting your heart ripped out and enjoying every second of it that makes a girl smile. 😂
Reader Beware, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK unless you are prepared for emotional turmoil and heart break. 💔 But absolutely do read this book and the first book because it's was totally worth every gasp, angry scream and tear I shed!
Oh don't mind me, I'm just sitting here silently sobbing after having my heart ripped out not once with this series but twice!
I'm seriously doubting if Auralie will ever get a HEA at this point which I'm not mad about because apparently I love to torture myself lol.
The first book did a fantastic job of building up not only an incredibly rich magical world but aIso the relationships and tension between Auralie, Lucais and
Wrenlock but this book.. Whoa this book just exploded with it! And the way this story progressed in this sequel absolutely shattered me! Loren writes emotional damage like it's fine art.
I will say I was pleasantly surprised with the turn of events certain relatinships took after all the build up.
The ultimate climax (pun intended) was so much fun to read and definitely made up for the way Loren pulled my heart of my chest and crushed it under her characters boots
Favorite Quotes:
“I can lie about a lot of things, Aura. I can twirl and curtsy my way around and in between languages to trick anyone into believing things that are not true—anything but the fact that I am in love with you. That’s so obvious, I’m almost ready to give up the notion that rejecting you will protect you if I fail.”
“Lucais.”
“Yes, bookworm?”
“I’m going to break your heart.”
“Auralie?”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“I’m going to let you.”
"I couldn’t explain it. Wrenlock felt like coming home, but so did Lucais."
"Maybe I needed both of them to pull me back from the brink of my inevitable darkness."
July 9, 2025
This is book two in the Gift War series, book one is A house of cloak and daggers.
Spoiler warning for book one ahead!
This is a fantasy romance, with emphasis on the romance in this one. Auralie struggles with the mating bond, her feelings towards the two MMCs, her past, her present, her magic, and herself. A lot is happening in this book, like a lot! This is a single, first person POV. So we get to follow the story through Auralies eyes, thoughts, and emotions. It is a little bit of an unreliable narrator, since it is restricted to her pov which is highly based on her emotional reactions. But the focus of the book, in my opinion, is Auralie and her character development. So it works!
A main theme in the book is the relationship between Auralie and Lucais. She goes back and forth a lot, then she goes back and forth some more. Then just a little more back and forth. Auralie is a swirling vortex, just trying to keep herself afloat. There is a lot of angst in this book as she confronts herself and her past. Her inner conflict is portrayed by her struggles with Lucais and their bond, I think.
There is a lot of worldbuilding in this book, as in the fist book of the series. A lot of details and vivid descriptions of both the world and the characters. The author has a very distinct writing style, which sets it apart from other fantasy romance books I´ve read. The language is poetic and, as I said, with a lot of detail. But at the same time she weaves in more everyday language, with a slight edge. It took me a while to get into, but when I did I liked it. It´s a bit chaotic and messy, but in a good way.
This is a book with a lot of worldbuilding, a lot of angst and a focus on the FMCs character arc and relationships! There is also spice! And a cliffhanger!
Spoiler warning for book one ahead!
This is a fantasy romance, with emphasis on the romance in this one. Auralie struggles with the mating bond, her feelings towards the two MMCs, her past, her present, her magic, and herself. A lot is happening in this book, like a lot! This is a single, first person POV. So we get to follow the story through Auralies eyes, thoughts, and emotions. It is a little bit of an unreliable narrator, since it is restricted to her pov which is highly based on her emotional reactions. But the focus of the book, in my opinion, is Auralie and her character development. So it works!
A main theme in the book is the relationship between Auralie and Lucais. She goes back and forth a lot, then she goes back and forth some more. Then just a little more back and forth. Auralie is a swirling vortex, just trying to keep herself afloat. There is a lot of angst in this book as she confronts herself and her past. Her inner conflict is portrayed by her struggles with Lucais and their bond, I think.
There is a lot of worldbuilding in this book, as in the fist book of the series. A lot of details and vivid descriptions of both the world and the characters. The author has a very distinct writing style, which sets it apart from other fantasy romance books I´ve read. The language is poetic and, as I said, with a lot of detail. But at the same time she weaves in more everyday language, with a slight edge. It took me a while to get into, but when I did I liked it. It´s a bit chaotic and messy, but in a good way.
This is a book with a lot of worldbuilding, a lot of angst and a focus on the FMCs character arc and relationships! There is also spice! And a cliffhanger!
July 3, 2025
So firstly, I absolutely adored A House of Cloak and Daggers, so book 2 had a lot to live up to. It's not often a second book in a series actually surpasses the first one, but here we are!
So we pick up exactly where we left book 1, immediately thrown back into Loren's beautiful storytelling and descriptive writing. The words just flow off the page, it's so completely immersive, that I challenge any of you to be able to stop reading once you start.
After that incredible betrayal in book 1, Aura finds herself stuck with Lucais and Wren, navigating her way through Faerie, not knowing who she can trust, and where the truth lies. Still being hunted by the caenim and with the Malum still trying to assassinate her, her life is more in danger than ever before.
I fell head over heels in love with our MMC in book 1 and I love him even more in book 2. The banter between him and Aura is hilarious, their mutual hatred but impossible to deny connection, is brilliant, there is so much tension, flirting and angsty encounters, you are desperate for them to finally give in. The relationship between Aura, Lucais and Wren is so wonderful, so complex and so consuming, it makes that ending hurt all the more!
I normally see twists coming, however I can hand on heart say, I was completely blindsided. I am confused, heartbroken and destroyed by those last few chapters.
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙯𝙚. “𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙬𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙. 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙯𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚, 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩.”
So we pick up exactly where we left book 1, immediately thrown back into Loren's beautiful storytelling and descriptive writing. The words just flow off the page, it's so completely immersive, that I challenge any of you to be able to stop reading once you start.
After that incredible betrayal in book 1, Aura finds herself stuck with Lucais and Wren, navigating her way through Faerie, not knowing who she can trust, and where the truth lies. Still being hunted by the caenim and with the Malum still trying to assassinate her, her life is more in danger than ever before.
I fell head over heels in love with our MMC in book 1 and I love him even more in book 2. The banter between him and Aura is hilarious, their mutual hatred but impossible to deny connection, is brilliant, there is so much tension, flirting and angsty encounters, you are desperate for them to finally give in. The relationship between Aura, Lucais and Wren is so wonderful, so complex and so consuming, it makes that ending hurt all the more!
I normally see twists coming, however I can hand on heart say, I was completely blindsided. I am confused, heartbroken and destroyed by those last few chapters.
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙯𝙚. “𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙬𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙. 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙯𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚, 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩.”
August 8, 2025
Oh, I don’t even know where to start!
After AHOCAD, I had high expectations for this book. Loren made sure that A Palace of Smoke & Mirrors did NOT disappoint. I loved how she picked up right where we left off in book 1 because she left my head spinning. If you thought AHOCAD had twists and turns, just buckle up and prepare for a wild ride. While on this roller coaster of emotions, Loren beautifully builds out the world and gives us the faerie lore. We finally get to see Auralie’s background and how her magic is impacted. I felt so bad for Tommy when Auralie was adapting to the new information Lucias and Wrenlock dumped in her lap, but I loved how she “redecorated” in that moment. We all deserve a moment like that and a soulmate who lets it happen. Lucias and Auralie are starting to find their footing in the mate bond. The friendship 🤔 between Lucias, Auralie, and Wrenlock takes more than one interesting turn….although I never could have predicted that ending. Loren had me chuckling, angry, giddy, excited and heartbroken for the unicorns. Yes, I cried. The banter was perfection 😍 and I haven’t stopped thinking about this book since I finished it. I highly recommend grabbing A Palace of Smoke & Mirrors for your next read. It’s available now!
Just a few of my Favorite Quotes:
“Then how are you going to love me?” I dared him. “In whatever way you want to be loved,” he whispered. “Even if that means not loving you at all.” 🫠
“If the two of you are quite finished with your extraordinarily long and unorthodox foreplay”
“The second a hand touches you without your consent, though, I’ll remove it—from your body and their own.” 😍😍
After AHOCAD, I had high expectations for this book. Loren made sure that A Palace of Smoke & Mirrors did NOT disappoint. I loved how she picked up right where we left off in book 1 because she left my head spinning. If you thought AHOCAD had twists and turns, just buckle up and prepare for a wild ride. While on this roller coaster of emotions, Loren beautifully builds out the world and gives us the faerie lore. We finally get to see Auralie’s background and how her magic is impacted. I felt so bad for Tommy when Auralie was adapting to the new information Lucias and Wrenlock dumped in her lap, but I loved how she “redecorated” in that moment. We all deserve a moment like that and a soulmate who lets it happen. Lucias and Auralie are starting to find their footing in the mate bond. The friendship 🤔 between Lucias, Auralie, and Wrenlock takes more than one interesting turn….although I never could have predicted that ending. Loren had me chuckling, angry, giddy, excited and heartbroken for the unicorns. Yes, I cried. The banter was perfection 😍 and I haven’t stopped thinking about this book since I finished it. I highly recommend grabbing A Palace of Smoke & Mirrors for your next read. It’s available now!
Just a few of my Favorite Quotes:
“Then how are you going to love me?” I dared him. “In whatever way you want to be loved,” he whispered. “Even if that means not loving you at all.” 🫠
“If the two of you are quite finished with your extraordinarily long and unorthodox foreplay”
“The second a hand touches you without your consent, though, I’ll remove it—from your body and their own.” 😍😍
July 7, 2025
WHAT THE F LOREN!?
Absolutely incredible – I’m obsessed!
This book was everything I wanted and more. The world building was so so good, really going into the gift war and all the places and species and how they changed after the Gift War. Loren has created such a vivid, layered fantasy realm with its own history, politics, and magic system – it was genuinely hard to put down because every chapter revealed something new and fascinating.
The plot twist genuinely floored me. Like in book 1 (AHOCAD) it was delivered with such impact. It changed the entire tone of the book in the best way, and will definitely have me EXCITED for book 3 in the series!
NOW - the romance – chef’s kiss. The spice level was absolutely perfect: sizzling chemistry with beautifully written steamy scenes that managed to be both hot and emotional. The two love interests were to die for – both caring and fiercely protective, I loved how they both had such different yet equally compelling ways of showing their devotion.
On top of all that, this book was unexpectedly funny! There was genuine laugh-out-loud moments that balanced the new info and the romantic elements. It made the characters feel so real and like people I would absolutely relates to - TOMMY 🤣🤣🤣 (IYKYK)
If you’re even thinking about picking this up, do it. It’s a perfect blend of fantasy, romance, humor, and heart-stopping twists. I already can’t wait to reread it – and for the next book in the series!
Absolutely incredible – I’m obsessed!
This book was everything I wanted and more. The world building was so so good, really going into the gift war and all the places and species and how they changed after the Gift War. Loren has created such a vivid, layered fantasy realm with its own history, politics, and magic system – it was genuinely hard to put down because every chapter revealed something new and fascinating.
The plot twist genuinely floored me. Like in book 1 (AHOCAD) it was delivered with such impact. It changed the entire tone of the book in the best way, and will definitely have me EXCITED for book 3 in the series!
NOW - the romance – chef’s kiss. The spice level was absolutely perfect: sizzling chemistry with beautifully written steamy scenes that managed to be both hot and emotional. The two love interests were to die for – both caring and fiercely protective, I loved how they both had such different yet equally compelling ways of showing their devotion.
On top of all that, this book was unexpectedly funny! There was genuine laugh-out-loud moments that balanced the new info and the romantic elements. It made the characters feel so real and like people I would absolutely relates to - TOMMY 🤣🤣🤣 (IYKYK)
If you’re even thinking about picking this up, do it. It’s a perfect blend of fantasy, romance, humor, and heart-stopping twists. I already can’t wait to reread it – and for the next book in the series!
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