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The Linked Trilogy #1
Scorched
Kyra Kozelski
“All men deserve to rot in eternal Abyss.”
Every male disappeared.
Turns out, I did that. Who knew I possessed Magik?
However, Jadox Griffin is still here- the only surviving male- a quiet, annoying soldier who definitely doesn’t have eyes to die for.
I need his help to return my nephew before it’s too late. But Jadox is hiding something, and a whispered threat is creeping closer with each passing moment.
Jadox Griffin
Kyra is gorgeous, powerful, and a pain in my ass. Her idiotic wish turns the world upside down.
Lying to her is necessary to find the answers I seek. Time is running out. Making her believe I’m her only hope is vital. Except I’m not.
And when she finds out the truth, I might be the next to disappear.
“All men deserve to rot in eternal Abyss.”
Every male disappeared.
Turns out, I did that. Who knew I possessed Magik?
However, Jadox Griffin is still here- the only surviving male- a quiet, annoying soldier who definitely doesn’t have eyes to die for.
I need his help to return my nephew before it’s too late. But Jadox is hiding something, and a whispered threat is creeping closer with each passing moment.
Jadox Griffin
Kyra is gorgeous, powerful, and a pain in my ass. Her idiotic wish turns the world upside down.
Lying to her is necessary to find the answers I seek. Time is running out. Making her believe I’m her only hope is vital. Except I’m not.
And when she finds out the truth, I might be the next to disappear.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
December 30, 2022
I hesitated between 3 and 4 stars for this one (3.5 would be the accurate rating) ... I really liked the storyline and the originality of this world but at the same time, I was bugged by the way Kyra was described... some things didn't fit her character and it made me feel like this book wasn't really "polished" to a finished version...
But overall, page after page, I've been able to forget those tiny "bugs" and jump into the main story which is really great. I liked the fact there were a little spice in it and I'm curious about the relationship of the main character with other characters in the next books of this trilogy...
But overall, page after page, I've been able to forget those tiny "bugs" and jump into the main story which is really great. I liked the fact there were a little spice in it and I'm curious about the relationship of the main character with other characters in the next books of this trilogy...
May 1, 2022
This book!!
I was a beta reader for Scorched and even though it was an unpolished version it was absolutely amazing!
I will leave my honest review (spoiler free, of course)
Kyra’s story is a roller coaster to say the least. She is an extremely powerful heroine but still not perfect in any way. She makes mistakes, she struggles to trust the people around her because of a very hard past, she is forced to fix a horrible mistake caused by her hatred for men and her newly discovered powers.
Jadox (or Jay as Kyra likes to call him) is such an amazing character, but still fighting with his own mistakes from the past. You will absolutely fall in love with this handsome sweetheart. So many times I thought Kyra doesn’t deserve him.
Their relationship is complicated, being brought and forced to stay together for their own benefits, they learn to trust, to fight, to become stronger and finally, to love. It’s not as easy as it sounds though, their relationship meets a lot of challenges and their future together is uncertain. As I said, I want this to be spoiler free, but I am warning you, get ready to be frustrated, happy, tense, angry and heartbroken!
This book is more than their relationship, it’s a journey for their souls, filled with grief, failures, even death.
I sometimes hated Kyra with all my heart, but sometimes she was the most relatable human on earth. Got me asking myself “what would I do in that situation” and finally finding out that she was more than a “chosen one” or a character built to fit a trope, she was a human being.
With those two main characters, which one do I love the most? Easy, the villain. I cannot put into words just how much i love 💖ISAAC💖. I’m not even gonna start this conversation, you will see for yourself!
I truly recommend this book for any fantasy and romance lovers. It is dark, intense, will make you wanna take a break and process wtf just happened and it will make you fall in love.
I was a beta reader for Scorched and even though it was an unpolished version it was absolutely amazing!
I will leave my honest review (spoiler free, of course)
Kyra’s story is a roller coaster to say the least. She is an extremely powerful heroine but still not perfect in any way. She makes mistakes, she struggles to trust the people around her because of a very hard past, she is forced to fix a horrible mistake caused by her hatred for men and her newly discovered powers.
Jadox (or Jay as Kyra likes to call him) is such an amazing character, but still fighting with his own mistakes from the past. You will absolutely fall in love with this handsome sweetheart. So many times I thought Kyra doesn’t deserve him.
Their relationship is complicated, being brought and forced to stay together for their own benefits, they learn to trust, to fight, to become stronger and finally, to love. It’s not as easy as it sounds though, their relationship meets a lot of challenges and their future together is uncertain. As I said, I want this to be spoiler free, but I am warning you, get ready to be frustrated, happy, tense, angry and heartbroken!
This book is more than their relationship, it’s a journey for their souls, filled with grief, failures, even death.
I sometimes hated Kyra with all my heart, but sometimes she was the most relatable human on earth. Got me asking myself “what would I do in that situation” and finally finding out that she was more than a “chosen one” or a character built to fit a trope, she was a human being.
With those two main characters, which one do I love the most? Easy, the villain. I cannot put into words just how much i love 💖ISAAC💖. I’m not even gonna start this conversation, you will see for yourself!
I truly recommend this book for any fantasy and romance lovers. It is dark, intense, will make you wanna take a break and process wtf just happened and it will make you fall in love.
January 29, 2023
[arc review]
Many thanks to the author, Cassie Swindon, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Scorched releases March 3, 2023
*first in a trilogy and ends in a cliffhanger*
Before I get into the review, I just want to emphasize how much I loved seeing a full glossary included for every character, location, and any other important detail pertaining to this story. I know so many readers who feel daunted going into fantasy books because learning a whole new system is too confusing or overwhelming when information is unloaded so quickly, so I really appreciated seeing this here!
The start of the story was great and gripped me right away with lots of action and angst. For full context, definitely read the three prequel stories first if you haven’t already!
Through dual pov, we see Kyra finally receive her tattoo. With some impulsivity and a lot of longing for freedom and escape, she wishes for every male to disappear, and ironically enough, they do… except for Jadox. This then ensues a whole lot of chaos. Where did all of the males vanish to? Are they even alive?
At about midway through, things started to get a bit muddled and disjointed for me with the introduction of creatures, but later picks up again with the linking event.
At times I had a hard time discerning whether this was fantasy, dystopian, or magical realism.
The elements of solar powered watches, holograms, hoverboards, and the war from the Ordull’s definitely had this feeling a bit dystopian.
The romance wasn’t 100% believable for me, and I did wish for a bit more chemistry and tension, but I still liked the dynamics of the two main characters. They each had their own battles — Kyra with a rocky history towards men and aversion to physical touch, and Jadox with his isolation — but together, they slowly opened up which was nice to see.
Had their development been paced better, I think I would have enjoyed this more, because Kyra really took a sudden 180 turn, and even Jadox was questioning if she was under some spell.
There’s definitely potential here, and I’m interested in seeing where this goes, even though I’m not currently a huge fan of Isaac.
Logically the nephew didn’t really fit anywhere into the prophecy/riddle so I don’t know why Kyra was so hung up on him for a good chunk of the plot.
A few scenes weren’t quite my cup of tea and made this read darker which I don’t know if they really served a purpose to the overall story or were just added for more gore, for example: the cave with flesh and skin, when the surh-sig ate a chunk of her shoulder, the reveal of what her step-dad did to her and her first boyfriend, the brief mention of rape, joking about cooking a cat on a grill for fun, and Hallie’s entire character arc.
TW: physical abuse, gun violence, death, gore, confinement, live broadcasted electrocution.
Rep: fmc nephew is autistic, mmc sister is queer, president is a double amputee.
ISAAC'S CURSE REVIEW: click here
JADOX'S SPELL REVIEW: click here
KYRA'S RUIN REVIEW: click here
SEVERED REVIEW: click here
SHATTERED REVIEW: click here
Many thanks to the author, Cassie Swindon, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Scorched releases March 3, 2023
*first in a trilogy and ends in a cliffhanger*
Before I get into the review, I just want to emphasize how much I loved seeing a full glossary included for every character, location, and any other important detail pertaining to this story. I know so many readers who feel daunted going into fantasy books because learning a whole new system is too confusing or overwhelming when information is unloaded so quickly, so I really appreciated seeing this here!
The start of the story was great and gripped me right away with lots of action and angst. For full context, definitely read the three prequel stories first if you haven’t already!
Through dual pov, we see Kyra finally receive her tattoo. With some impulsivity and a lot of longing for freedom and escape, she wishes for every male to disappear, and ironically enough, they do… except for Jadox. This then ensues a whole lot of chaos. Where did all of the males vanish to? Are they even alive?
At about midway through, things started to get a bit muddled and disjointed for me with the introduction of creatures, but later picks up again with the linking event.
At times I had a hard time discerning whether this was fantasy, dystopian, or magical realism.
The elements of solar powered watches, holograms, hoverboards, and the war from the Ordull’s definitely had this feeling a bit dystopian.
The romance wasn’t 100% believable for me, and I did wish for a bit more chemistry and tension, but I still liked the dynamics of the two main characters. They each had their own battles — Kyra with a rocky history towards men and aversion to physical touch, and Jadox with his isolation — but together, they slowly opened up which was nice to see.
Had their development been paced better, I think I would have enjoyed this more, because Kyra really took a sudden 180 turn, and even Jadox was questioning if she was under some spell.
There’s definitely potential here, and I’m interested in seeing where this goes, even though I’m not currently a huge fan of Isaac.
Logically the nephew didn’t really fit anywhere into the prophecy/riddle so I don’t know why Kyra was so hung up on him for a good chunk of the plot.
A few scenes weren’t quite my cup of tea and made this read darker which I don’t know if they really served a purpose to the overall story or were just added for more gore, for example: the cave with flesh and skin, when the surh-sig ate a chunk of her shoulder, the reveal of what her step-dad did to her and her first boyfriend, the brief mention of rape, joking about cooking a cat on a grill for fun, and Hallie’s entire character arc.
TW: physical abuse, gun violence, death, gore, confinement, live broadcasted electrocution.
Rep: fmc nephew is autistic, mmc sister is queer, president is a double amputee.
ISAAC'S CURSE REVIEW: click here
JADOX'S SPELL REVIEW: click here
KYRA'S RUIN REVIEW: click here
SEVERED REVIEW: click here
SHATTERED REVIEW: click here
December 28, 2022
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CONTENT WARNING: violence, domestic violence, murder, mention of addiction, mention of abortion, genocide, excessive gore, mention of rape
The cover on this book is absolutely gorgeous, and it was what initially drew my attention. I was hoping that the story inside was going to do this beautiful cover justice. However, in this case, I probably shouldn't have judged the book by the cover, and it wasn't quite the book for me.
To start with, the story needs some pretty significant proofreading efforts. There are many spelling and grammar errors throughout the book that made it hard to focus on the story, and it should have been a sign that the first line of the story had a spelling error.
Readers are kind of thrown into the story rather quickly without any lead-in, and it made it difficult to bond with the main characters. We enter the story knowing that Kyra hates me, but without knowing much of her backstory, she came off as petty, rash, and ridiculous, while if I had known more about her, I would have been able to empathize with her much more easily. Without knowing much of Jadox's story, it felt like he must have done something really awful to earn his banishment, but then when we find out what he actually did? It felt so anticlimactic and overblown that he was estranged from his family for so long because of it.
I struggled to connect with the characters, and the writing didn't help. It was clunky and awkward, and the phrases that were used just didn't work together. While profanity was used throughout the story, there were some random times where other terms were substituted for curses that simply didn't work and made me actually cringe, like this one:
“...his deep brown, fudge-me bedroom gaze ran over me with a sour glance.”
The connection between the characters never felt natural, and instead of forming a real, emotional connection, it just felt like lust to me, except that the characters seem to fall in insta-love after knowing each other for a week or so. Another of my pet peeves is that Kyra practices her magic for a couple of hours and then suddenly kind of masters them, when anyone who has actually tried to learn a new talent can tell you that it takes hours and hours of practice over months and usually years to master it.
On top of all of that, there's a LOVE TRIANGLE! But wait, there's more! Instead of creating a believable second love interest, the other guy is horrible. He's controlling, rude, cruel, and just all-around nasty. Yet, Kyra is magically attracted to him despite the fact that she hates everything about him because ... she has a gut instinct (which has served her so well in the past), and ... he's hot.
The only time I've ever actually liked a love triangle in a book is when both of the characters are well created and both develop believable relationships with the FMC and offer her something unique. But that's not what happens in this book. Flat characters are an ongoing issue in this story, with each of the side characters not having much to offer except randomly appearing to save the day.
By the time this story ended, I didn't care about anything that was going on, except just being done with the book and being able to move on to a more engaging book.
CONTENT WARNING: violence, domestic violence, murder, mention of addiction, mention of abortion, genocide, excessive gore, mention of rape
The cover on this book is absolutely gorgeous, and it was what initially drew my attention. I was hoping that the story inside was going to do this beautiful cover justice. However, in this case, I probably shouldn't have judged the book by the cover, and it wasn't quite the book for me.
To start with, the story needs some pretty significant proofreading efforts. There are many spelling and grammar errors throughout the book that made it hard to focus on the story, and it should have been a sign that the first line of the story had a spelling error.
Readers are kind of thrown into the story rather quickly without any lead-in, and it made it difficult to bond with the main characters. We enter the story knowing that Kyra hates me, but without knowing much of her backstory, she came off as petty, rash, and ridiculous, while if I had known more about her, I would have been able to empathize with her much more easily. Without knowing much of Jadox's story, it felt like he must have done something really awful to earn his banishment, but then when we find out what he actually did? It felt so anticlimactic and overblown that he was estranged from his family for so long because of it.
I struggled to connect with the characters, and the writing didn't help. It was clunky and awkward, and the phrases that were used just didn't work together. While profanity was used throughout the story, there were some random times where other terms were substituted for curses that simply didn't work and made me actually cringe, like this one:
“...his deep brown, fudge-me bedroom gaze ran over me with a sour glance.”
The connection between the characters never felt natural, and instead of forming a real, emotional connection, it just felt like lust to me, except that the characters seem to fall in insta-love after knowing each other for a week or so. Another of my pet peeves is that Kyra practices her magic for a couple of hours and then suddenly kind of masters them, when anyone who has actually tried to learn a new talent can tell you that it takes hours and hours of practice over months and usually years to master it.
On top of all of that, there's a LOVE TRIANGLE! But wait, there's more! Instead of creating a believable second love interest, the other guy is horrible. He's controlling, rude, cruel, and just all-around nasty. Yet, Kyra is magically attracted to him despite the fact that she hates everything about him because ... she has a gut instinct (which has served her so well in the past), and ... he's hot.
The only time I've ever actually liked a love triangle in a book is when both of the characters are well created and both develop believable relationships with the FMC and offer her something unique. But that's not what happens in this book. Flat characters are an ongoing issue in this story, with each of the side characters not having much to offer except randomly appearing to save the day.
By the time this story ended, I didn't care about anything that was going on, except just being done with the book and being able to move on to a more engaging book.
December 18, 2022
This book has an intersecting premise, but it didn’t feel complete. I felt like I was plopped into the first quarter of the book without any context, so I started off the novel confused. In addition, we see a hint at the start of why Kyra hates men, but it would’ve been good to explore that earlier in the book. On top of that, the writing style was a let down. Sentences had half written descriptions. But, I will say that I did like the relationship between Kyra and Jadox.
Whilst this book wasn’t for me, I’m sure that there are others out there who will enjoy this book.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Whilst this book wasn’t for me, I’m sure that there are others out there who will enjoy this book.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2023
Thanks to the author for providing an arc!
The start of this trilogy was spectacular! It was an interesting storyline from the beggining, it had romance, a bit of spice, fun and interesting characters and MAGIC! I think the first chapter was an interesting choice because we didn't get a lot of backstory information about her and how did she end up in that situation... But nevertheless it kept me wanting to read more and more, just to find out about it🤭
The story did have some similiarities with Shadowhunters, but as a Shadowhunter fan - I did enjoy it. It was a pleasant surprise that motivated me even more!
Will definitely wait to read the rest of the trilogy!🙈
The start of this trilogy was spectacular! It was an interesting storyline from the beggining, it had romance, a bit of spice, fun and interesting characters and MAGIC! I think the first chapter was an interesting choice because we didn't get a lot of backstory information about her and how did she end up in that situation... But nevertheless it kept me wanting to read more and more, just to find out about it🤭
The story did have some similiarities with Shadowhunters, but as a Shadowhunter fan - I did enjoy it. It was a pleasant surprise that motivated me even more!
Will definitely wait to read the rest of the trilogy!🙈
March 25, 2022
I was a beta reader for an unpolished version of Scorched and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Scorched is the first book in the Linked Trilogy. It elements of majik.
Kyra has suffered at the hands on men for the most of her life. She has finally had enough and makes a wish for all men to be gone. Then every man disappears except for Jadox. It is a mystery as to why Jadox is the only male left on earth. It is soon discovered that Kyra anf Jadox are powerful majik beings and as the world falls into disarray they must find a way to return the men to Earth.
As they race to find a way to return the male species, the governments of the world is looking for those who are responsible. Jadox is holding a secret - he isn't the last man on Earth.
The book is good. It is fast paced. It does end in a cliffhanger. Kyra is a little whiny and annoying but she has to overcome her past. Jadox is selfish but is being dishonest for those he love.
Scorched is the first book in the Linked Trilogy. It elements of majik.
Kyra has suffered at the hands on men for the most of her life. She has finally had enough and makes a wish for all men to be gone. Then every man disappears except for Jadox. It is a mystery as to why Jadox is the only male left on earth. It is soon discovered that Kyra anf Jadox are powerful majik beings and as the world falls into disarray they must find a way to return the men to Earth.
As they race to find a way to return the male species, the governments of the world is looking for those who are responsible. Jadox is holding a secret - he isn't the last man on Earth.
The book is good. It is fast paced. It does end in a cliffhanger. Kyra is a little whiny and annoying but she has to overcome her past. Jadox is selfish but is being dishonest for those he love.
December 31, 2022
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review
“I froze and stared at him. If this asshole thought he’d controle me , he had another thing coming.”
Scorched has everything a fantasy book needs: fun main characters, good world building, romance (with some spice), and elemental magic.
The book has a dual POV, following Kyra and Jadox. Kyra grew up among Ordulls, people without Magik, not knowing she possessed control over fire. She went trough a lot of trauma involving men, causing her to wish them all away one day… and they all actually disappear.
Jadox is working through trauma of his own and struggles to work together with Kyra after years of isolation. But he needs her, or rather something she’s carrying with her.
The magic system is amazing. I’ve always loved elemental magic and this book makes it into something completely unique. I would have loved to see Kyra train to control her magic a little more though. The mastering of her powers felt a little rushed to me, but besides that it was very well written and I loved the idea.
The world was interesting and the aspects of high tech hoverboards, watches and war gave me a dystopian feeling. The women left behind desperately try to find someone to blame and the government takes that chance to get rid of some old enemies.
The romance between the characters is lovely. They are both complex characters and that’s visible in how they interact with each other. Although they feel a pull towards each other from the moment they meet, they try to ignore that for a pretty long time. I don’t like Isaac at all at the moment but I feel there’s gonna be a love triangle with him in it so I’m very curious about that.
The last thing I want to say is that this book has some great representation. Multiple of the characters are POC, there’s a queer character, mention of trans characters, a character with a bilateral amputation and someone with autisme. All of this makes for a very diverse group which I always love to see.
“I froze and stared at him. If this asshole thought he’d controle me , he had another thing coming.”
Scorched has everything a fantasy book needs: fun main characters, good world building, romance (with some spice), and elemental magic.
The book has a dual POV, following Kyra and Jadox. Kyra grew up among Ordulls, people without Magik, not knowing she possessed control over fire. She went trough a lot of trauma involving men, causing her to wish them all away one day… and they all actually disappear.
Jadox is working through trauma of his own and struggles to work together with Kyra after years of isolation. But he needs her, or rather something she’s carrying with her.
The magic system is amazing. I’ve always loved elemental magic and this book makes it into something completely unique. I would have loved to see Kyra train to control her magic a little more though. The mastering of her powers felt a little rushed to me, but besides that it was very well written and I loved the idea.
The world was interesting and the aspects of high tech hoverboards, watches and war gave me a dystopian feeling. The women left behind desperately try to find someone to blame and the government takes that chance to get rid of some old enemies.
The romance between the characters is lovely. They are both complex characters and that’s visible in how they interact with each other. Although they feel a pull towards each other from the moment they meet, they try to ignore that for a pretty long time. I don’t like Isaac at all at the moment but I feel there’s gonna be a love triangle with him in it so I’m very curious about that.
The last thing I want to say is that this book has some great representation. Multiple of the characters are POC, there’s a queer character, mention of trans characters, a character with a bilateral amputation and someone with autisme. All of this makes for a very diverse group which I always love to see.
January 10, 2023
It’s a 4.25⭐️ for me.
I was very apprehensive about starting the story but I must say the plot is quite addicting and Cassie surely knew how to engage the readers, at least I was fully captivated by the story after 30% of the start. There was so much happening, the intense chemistry between the characters, the world-building, Kyra was finding so many new things at once, and the realization itself is too big to digest and handle. I freaking loved the ups and downs of the story.
Kyra is a strong female protagonist who has to suffer a lot in her small lifetime and she has resentment in her heart and which led to a catastrophic change in the world and everything breaking into chaos. Jadox is the one man who was there from the start from being strangers to partners to mysterious things which you should find out while reading. The story is very strong and has a lot to offer. I am looking forward to seeing how this trilogy shapes itself.
The story will make you work on theories continuously and then will throw a bouncer where you’ll again start fresh but never tire of it. I found a handsome villain but he’s not exactly a villain, he’s an unknown and if we get his pov then we’ll be able to understand more of the mysterious magikal system in here. The banter between Kyra and Jay is fabulous and continuously made me smile. I have high hopes for the people involved here.
Must read.
I was very apprehensive about starting the story but I must say the plot is quite addicting and Cassie surely knew how to engage the readers, at least I was fully captivated by the story after 30% of the start. There was so much happening, the intense chemistry between the characters, the world-building, Kyra was finding so many new things at once, and the realization itself is too big to digest and handle. I freaking loved the ups and downs of the story.
Kyra is a strong female protagonist who has to suffer a lot in her small lifetime and she has resentment in her heart and which led to a catastrophic change in the world and everything breaking into chaos. Jadox is the one man who was there from the start from being strangers to partners to mysterious things which you should find out while reading. The story is very strong and has a lot to offer. I am looking forward to seeing how this trilogy shapes itself.
The story will make you work on theories continuously and then will throw a bouncer where you’ll again start fresh but never tire of it. I found a handsome villain but he’s not exactly a villain, he’s an unknown and if we get his pov then we’ll be able to understand more of the mysterious magikal system in here. The banter between Kyra and Jay is fabulous and continuously made me smile. I have high hopes for the people involved here.
Must read.
December 18, 2022
4.75/5 ⚔️ Service Press
——
This book is an amazing introduction to the séries !
🇫🇷 • J’ai rarement l’occasion d’avoir des « service press » mais je dois dire que celui la est phénoménal ! Rare sont les fois où un roman m’inspire autant, mais ce dernier m’a, je pense sorti de ma panne de lecture.
La rencontre explosive entre Jadox et Kyra est vraiment quelques choses. La trope principal « grumpy x sunshine » est plutôt amusante, surtout quand on devine qui est le personnage grumpy du roman !
J’ai beaucoup appréciée l’univers de l’auteure et sa façon de décrire l’univers de ses personnages. Tout ce monde magique est un délice et franchement, je conseillerais ce roman à tout le monde aimant la romance et la fantasy.
Je voudrais essayer de faire une meilleure revue mais c’est compliqué, je sais jamais quand m’arrêter de parler. On se retrouve face à des personnages que tout oppose, littéralement, pourtant chacun parvient à tirer sa force de l’autre… c’est ce qui les rend si beau.
Moi qui ne suit habituellement pas fan du slow burn, je me suis retrouvée à pleurer sur celui-ci. On va de surprise en surprise et la plume de l’auteure est fluide.
Habituellement les sagas c’est pas mon genre, car je ne les termine jamais, mais celle-ci ?? Je suis à deux doigts de prendre toute la saga complète immédiatement.
——
This book is an amazing introduction to the séries !
🇫🇷 • J’ai rarement l’occasion d’avoir des « service press » mais je dois dire que celui la est phénoménal ! Rare sont les fois où un roman m’inspire autant, mais ce dernier m’a, je pense sorti de ma panne de lecture.
La rencontre explosive entre Jadox et Kyra est vraiment quelques choses. La trope principal « grumpy x sunshine » est plutôt amusante, surtout quand on devine qui est le personnage grumpy du roman !
J’ai beaucoup appréciée l’univers de l’auteure et sa façon de décrire l’univers de ses personnages. Tout ce monde magique est un délice et franchement, je conseillerais ce roman à tout le monde aimant la romance et la fantasy.
Je voudrais essayer de faire une meilleure revue mais c’est compliqué, je sais jamais quand m’arrêter de parler. On se retrouve face à des personnages que tout oppose, littéralement, pourtant chacun parvient à tirer sa force de l’autre… c’est ce qui les rend si beau.
Moi qui ne suit habituellement pas fan du slow burn, je me suis retrouvée à pleurer sur celui-ci. On va de surprise en surprise et la plume de l’auteure est fluide.
Habituellement les sagas c’est pas mon genre, car je ne les termine jamais, mais celle-ci ?? Je suis à deux doigts de prendre toute la saga complète immédiatement.
January 9, 2023
I think my favorite part of the book was that I could relate to not wanting to be touched. Kyra had very many bad relationships with men, like all of them it seems. She couldn’t stand to be touched by men including Jadox. Right from the beginning she is being chased by a man, her boyfriend. Then comes Jadox saving her. At every chance she gets she reminds him no to touch her, and he does his very best to ask permission each time. Unless she is knocked out.
The dynamic that they build through this story is amazing. The building of trust, you can see it. Until Isaac shows up and screws the whole dynamic up with his ‘You picked the wrong one” attitude. He ( Isaac) does not help with proving that men are bad, he is almost the opposite of Jadox. If we had more men like Jadox, we would be all set. I am a little jealous of her wish, sometimes I too wish there were no men.
All the world building happens early on, which is very helpful. Having that understanding of how the Magik works, and the different types really helps the story keep going. That being said I did set the book down a few times during the beginning of the story because I had to take it in before continuing. There was just so much to learn. I can’t wait to see how the next book brings the story to another level, because this ending is not how I pictured it ending.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
The dynamic that they build through this story is amazing. The building of trust, you can see it. Until Isaac shows up and screws the whole dynamic up with his ‘You picked the wrong one” attitude. He ( Isaac) does not help with proving that men are bad, he is almost the opposite of Jadox. If we had more men like Jadox, we would be all set. I am a little jealous of her wish, sometimes I too wish there were no men.
All the world building happens early on, which is very helpful. Having that understanding of how the Magik works, and the different types really helps the story keep going. That being said I did set the book down a few times during the beginning of the story because I had to take it in before continuing. There was just so much to learn. I can’t wait to see how the next book brings the story to another level, because this ending is not how I pictured it ending.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
December 27, 2022
I absolutely loved reading this book! The story is fast paced and was quite easy to follow. The story also has some good world building. I’m really hoping everything works out for Kyra and Jadox. They are so sweet and I’m officially obsessed with them! Both of them obviously have to work through their issues, but I’m so excited to see where this story goes. I’m also curious to see what happens with Isaac! Like I really want to hate him at this point, but feel there’s more to him.
As a suggestion, I think the book would benefit from a pronunciation guide. The glossary of terms and the other guides included at the end are super helpful.
A fantastic read and I recommend giving it a go.
As a suggestion, I think the book would benefit from a pronunciation guide. The glossary of terms and the other guides included at the end are super helpful.
A fantastic read and I recommend giving it a go.
April 23, 2023
This ROMANTASY was delicious. Enemies to lovers. Spice. Will say it’s a love triangle. A very unique magic system. I would highly recommend.
January 24, 2023
Thank you Cassie Swindon for sending me an ARC of this book.
I'm sorry to say that this book failed to make any connections for me. The chemistry was forced, and repetitive. The plot had some missing lines and things seemed to move at an illogical pace.
I'm sorry to say that this book failed to make any connections for me. The chemistry was forced, and repetitive. The plot had some missing lines and things seemed to move at an illogical pace.
December 24, 2022
TLDR - enjoyable start with some odd pacing -
I am honestly shocked. I am notoriously harsh on ARC’s and was fully prepped to be disappointed by this book but I actually really enjoyed it.
Now that you know I loved it by the end here’s my critiques that aren’t plot, character or romance based (as they always get their own paragraph)
So it took me the full first chapter to get in (I love a book that can get me on first paragraph or even first page) which isn’t the worst but definitely not the best for me. At 1/3 we get a random pronunciation for the FMC but by then it was too late and I was pronouncing it apparently wrong. I honestly tried so hard to correct myself each time and it wasn’t until right near the end I was pulling off the correction almost everytime. To me if you’re gonna care how it’s pronounced ya gotta get that nipped in the bud earlier. Beyond that I don’t remember anything else which means it obviously didn’t stick (that’s my mantra with book reviews)
For characters we had an MMC and a FMC with a few side characters but not a lot that we got named. I adored the MMC, like can I steal him and protect him from the world but also steal him just cos I want him. To me he was perfect. He makes mistakes but he’s so quick to apologise and also to fix those wrongs. He’s not someone that forgets. If you ask him to always put the toilet seat down you only have to tell him once. Model man for sure.
Our FMC was fiery and I loved that about her, I did not love her Hot n Cold vibes. I couldn’t peg what her reactions would be because they were so irrational sometimes and even when she took steps forward she’d then take steps back when it made no sense (and sometimes the forward made no sense)
For minor characters it’s the first book so I get we were establishing our mains but I am definitely curious about the motivations of the MMC’s sister. I really hated the antagonist and I think the reason I hated them more is because I can sense the author wanting to redeem them but I cannot fathom why the FMC with her personality and issues would and if she does I will riot.
For plot this followed a neat structure of going to point A to fix problem A then figuring out more problems and adjusting but always having problem A in mind which I like. I had confusing plots and this book gave it to me easy whilst not making it boring. Well done.
For romance I adored the simpage. I wouldn’t call it an enemies to lovers book because it never really came across that way but there’s definitely not a good first impression and then lots of begrudging anything else by the FMC which was a total blast. There was a turning point and damn it just felt way fast. Like for the character there should’ve been a lot more indecision and easing into it all but it truly felt like it went from “I’m willing for one baby step” straight into all the biggest steps which felt so weird. I’m a sucker so of course I didn’t mind but I would’ve loved it to be more gradual. This is open door romance and I’d say probably close to your standard ACOTAR/ACOMAF levels which to me is a great level for plot heavy romance fantasy books
Overall I loved this book until 50% ish and then after that flicked between love and like because I’m a spoil sport and just don’t like when things don’t go the way I want and towards the end it just wasn’t which annoyed me (however my annoyance shows I care) I am definitely looking forward to the next one
PS. The author recommended some short stories prior to the book but as they aren’t linked to the series on goodreads I didn’t read them as I wanted to go in with the same experience the standard reader would have
I am honestly shocked. I am notoriously harsh on ARC’s and was fully prepped to be disappointed by this book but I actually really enjoyed it.
Now that you know I loved it by the end here’s my critiques that aren’t plot, character or romance based (as they always get their own paragraph)
So it took me the full first chapter to get in (I love a book that can get me on first paragraph or even first page) which isn’t the worst but definitely not the best for me. At 1/3 we get a random pronunciation for the FMC but by then it was too late and I was pronouncing it apparently wrong. I honestly tried so hard to correct myself each time and it wasn’t until right near the end I was pulling off the correction almost everytime. To me if you’re gonna care how it’s pronounced ya gotta get that nipped in the bud earlier. Beyond that I don’t remember anything else which means it obviously didn’t stick (that’s my mantra with book reviews)
For characters we had an MMC and a FMC with a few side characters but not a lot that we got named. I adored the MMC, like can I steal him and protect him from the world but also steal him just cos I want him. To me he was perfect. He makes mistakes but he’s so quick to apologise and also to fix those wrongs. He’s not someone that forgets. If you ask him to always put the toilet seat down you only have to tell him once. Model man for sure.
Our FMC was fiery and I loved that about her, I did not love her Hot n Cold vibes. I couldn’t peg what her reactions would be because they were so irrational sometimes and even when she took steps forward she’d then take steps back when it made no sense (and sometimes the forward made no sense)
For minor characters it’s the first book so I get we were establishing our mains but I am definitely curious about the motivations of the MMC’s sister. I really hated the antagonist and I think the reason I hated them more is because I can sense the author wanting to redeem them but I cannot fathom why the FMC with her personality and issues would and if she does I will riot.
For plot this followed a neat structure of going to point A to fix problem A then figuring out more problems and adjusting but always having problem A in mind which I like. I had confusing plots and this book gave it to me easy whilst not making it boring. Well done.
For romance I adored the simpage. I wouldn’t call it an enemies to lovers book because it never really came across that way but there’s definitely not a good first impression and then lots of begrudging anything else by the FMC which was a total blast. There was a turning point and damn it just felt way fast. Like for the character there should’ve been a lot more indecision and easing into it all but it truly felt like it went from “I’m willing for one baby step” straight into all the biggest steps which felt so weird. I’m a sucker so of course I didn’t mind but I would’ve loved it to be more gradual. This is open door romance and I’d say probably close to your standard ACOTAR/ACOMAF levels which to me is a great level for plot heavy romance fantasy books
Overall I loved this book until 50% ish and then after that flicked between love and like because I’m a spoil sport and just don’t like when things don’t go the way I want and towards the end it just wasn’t which annoyed me (however my annoyance shows I care) I am definitely looking forward to the next one
PS. The author recommended some short stories prior to the book but as they aren’t linked to the series on goodreads I didn’t read them as I wanted to go in with the same experience the standard reader would have
January 14, 2023
Thank you to the author for providing me with an E-arc of the book.
'Her stubborn scowl glared at me with the intensity of an Elidian, her lava eyes liquid like honey. But she didn't possess Magik - yet.'
Scorched is the first in a romantic fantasy trilogy. Set in a world of elemental Magik, spells, unique creatures and technology the world building is good but doesn't get in the way of the plot. It's easy to follow but if you do get confused there's a handy glossary section to refer to.
Told from two main POVs we get alternating chapters from Kyra and Jadox.
The two are brought together at the start of the novel as Kyra is trying to escape her controlling, abusive boyfriend. Jadox becomes involved in her escape but his meeting Kyra is no accident.
We're quickly plunged into the world of Mystiers, those with elemental powers, and the Ordulls, people without powers.
Kyra's boyfriend is part of the reason why she hates men (we find out more of her backstory as the novel progresses) and she's immediately hostile towards Jadox or Jay as he becomes known.
It's her hatred and an extreme situation which causes her to wish for all men to disappear and suddenly they all vanish apart from Jay.
A message from her sister reveals that Kyra's nephew has vanished leading Kyra to grudgingly accept Jay's help to try and bring him and the rest of the population back.
The story is set up with the Ordulls planning war on all Magik wielders for taking their men, especially when the Mystier men are still around.
Mix in the rivalry between the different elementals and the introduction of Isaac who controls air, whereas Jay controls earth, the developing relationship between Kyra and Jay, her impulsive nature matching the unleashing of her fire powers, and action, sexy time and a possible love triangle before secrets and shocks lead to a cliffhanger of an ending. What will happen in book two?
Not long to wait as it's a rapid release schedule for the entire trilogy.
Some plot points seem inconsequential or merely diversions but it remains to be seen how much is relevant in the rest of the trilogy.
Also it's worth noting the representation in this book of not just gender, race and sexuality but also disability with a double amputee female president and Kyra's nephew being autistic and using PECS ( picture exchange communication system) to show wants/needs.
Will your favourite character be Kyra or Jadox or maybe Isaac? I'm pretty sure that, like me, it's going to be Chocolate the dog.
'Her stubborn scowl glared at me with the intensity of an Elidian, her lava eyes liquid like honey. But she didn't possess Magik - yet.'
Scorched is the first in a romantic fantasy trilogy. Set in a world of elemental Magik, spells, unique creatures and technology the world building is good but doesn't get in the way of the plot. It's easy to follow but if you do get confused there's a handy glossary section to refer to.
Told from two main POVs we get alternating chapters from Kyra and Jadox.
The two are brought together at the start of the novel as Kyra is trying to escape her controlling, abusive boyfriend. Jadox becomes involved in her escape but his meeting Kyra is no accident.
We're quickly plunged into the world of Mystiers, those with elemental powers, and the Ordulls, people without powers.
Kyra's boyfriend is part of the reason why she hates men (we find out more of her backstory as the novel progresses) and she's immediately hostile towards Jadox or Jay as he becomes known.
It's her hatred and an extreme situation which causes her to wish for all men to disappear and suddenly they all vanish apart from Jay.
A message from her sister reveals that Kyra's nephew has vanished leading Kyra to grudgingly accept Jay's help to try and bring him and the rest of the population back.
The story is set up with the Ordulls planning war on all Magik wielders for taking their men, especially when the Mystier men are still around.
Mix in the rivalry between the different elementals and the introduction of Isaac who controls air, whereas Jay controls earth, the developing relationship between Kyra and Jay, her impulsive nature matching the unleashing of her fire powers, and action, sexy time and a possible love triangle before secrets and shocks lead to a cliffhanger of an ending. What will happen in book two?
Not long to wait as it's a rapid release schedule for the entire trilogy.
Some plot points seem inconsequential or merely diversions but it remains to be seen how much is relevant in the rest of the trilogy.
Also it's worth noting the representation in this book of not just gender, race and sexuality but also disability with a double amputee female president and Kyra's nephew being autistic and using PECS ( picture exchange communication system) to show wants/needs.
Will your favourite character be Kyra or Jadox or maybe Isaac? I'm pretty sure that, like me, it's going to be Chocolate the dog.
January 22, 2023
First off, I would like to thank the author for sending me an ARC. I was very excited to read this story based on the description and different advertisements.
The best way I can describe this book is 1984 mixed with Avatar the Last Airbender mixed with Star Wars. It is an intriguing idea with a mix between dystopian and fantasy but I could never really find the balance between the two. For example, there were hoverboards and watches that made projected video calls but also elemental witches and other creatures along with a “big brother” government.
I feel like the main characters had a lot of potential and I was interested to see their interactions from the beginning. However I developed a bit of whiplash from the constant personality changes. In one sentence Jadox was grumpy and wanted nothing to do with Kyra and in the next he’s an open book, extending his arms to offer a hug. It didn’t seem very believable to me and because of that, their chemistry seemed a little forced. I wish that they had more of a natural, slow-building relationship rather than the back and forth of wanting to bang each other one second and then hating each other the next for no apparent or believable reason.
Similarly, there seemed to be awkward information dump sessions. Jadox was being very secretive about his world even after agreeing that Kyra should learn more about it. So when he would drop terms she wasn’t familiar with, it was a toss-up of whether he was going to explain the entire history or if he was going to shut down and not tell her anything. It seemed very inconsistent to me, like he was locking down some information just for the sake of being mysterious.
I think this book had a lot of potential but unfortunately the dystopian-esque plot along with the personality inconsistencies are some of my personal dislikes which is why I did not rate this book very highly.
Please note that these are my personal thoughts and I do not want to discourage anyone from giving this series a try. It just wasn’t for me.
The best way I can describe this book is 1984 mixed with Avatar the Last Airbender mixed with Star Wars. It is an intriguing idea with a mix between dystopian and fantasy but I could never really find the balance between the two. For example, there were hoverboards and watches that made projected video calls but also elemental witches and other creatures along with a “big brother” government.
I feel like the main characters had a lot of potential and I was interested to see their interactions from the beginning. However I developed a bit of whiplash from the constant personality changes. In one sentence Jadox was grumpy and wanted nothing to do with Kyra and in the next he’s an open book, extending his arms to offer a hug. It didn’t seem very believable to me and because of that, their chemistry seemed a little forced. I wish that they had more of a natural, slow-building relationship rather than the back and forth of wanting to bang each other one second and then hating each other the next for no apparent or believable reason.
Similarly, there seemed to be awkward information dump sessions. Jadox was being very secretive about his world even after agreeing that Kyra should learn more about it. So when he would drop terms she wasn’t familiar with, it was a toss-up of whether he was going to explain the entire history or if he was going to shut down and not tell her anything. It seemed very inconsistent to me, like he was locking down some information just for the sake of being mysterious.
I think this book had a lot of potential but unfortunately the dystopian-esque plot along with the personality inconsistencies are some of my personal dislikes which is why I did not rate this book very highly.
Please note that these are my personal thoughts and I do not want to discourage anyone from giving this series a try. It just wasn’t for me.
January 2, 2023
Personal rating : 3.75
I would like to thank the author for providing the ARC for Scorched. This is the first book for a trilogy, accompanied by several short stories that you can read in the author’s page.
This book has one of the best magic system I’ve read. With all the creatures and magical terms, it was quite easy to follow and understand. The world building of Lodesa was also interesting. I love the glossary provided at the end of the book!
Characters wise, I could say that I have love-hate relationship with Kyra. I love that she’s a badass fmc with this amazing magic. She actually wished for a world with no men and got her wish. I was like wow, this is the extinction of men. There were a few moment that I was so annoyed with her at the beginning. As the story progressed, I finally knew her back story and I was like I’M SORRY FOR JUDGING KYRA😭
Jadox or Jay is such an eye candy and OMG I totally fell for him! His relationship with Kyra was just 🔥🔥 and Isaac, gosh, I was attracted to him when I was reading Isaac’s Curse. I realised he made me wanna stab him in Scorched. I was totally in favour of Jay right now😌 to think that he didn’t really appealed to me when I read the 3 short stories prior to Scorched.
The progress of the book was smooth. I was completely immersed in the story by the time they reached Draven. Do not get me started on the ending! I have so many questions by the end of this book. Dying because of curiosity. I guess there will be more of love triangle trope in the second book but gosh, my heart already picked Jadox. RIP🙂
This is perfect for those who love fantasy and romance (especially those who love love triangle). The paperback of the book will be available on March 3, 2023.
I would like to thank the author for providing the ARC for Scorched. This is the first book for a trilogy, accompanied by several short stories that you can read in the author’s page.
This book has one of the best magic system I’ve read. With all the creatures and magical terms, it was quite easy to follow and understand. The world building of Lodesa was also interesting. I love the glossary provided at the end of the book!
Characters wise, I could say that I have love-hate relationship with Kyra. I love that she’s a badass fmc with this amazing magic. She actually wished for a world with no men and got her wish. I was like wow, this is the extinction of men. There were a few moment that I was so annoyed with her at the beginning. As the story progressed, I finally knew her back story and I was like I’M SORRY FOR JUDGING KYRA😭
Jadox or Jay is such an eye candy and OMG I totally fell for him! His relationship with Kyra was just 🔥🔥 and Isaac, gosh, I was attracted to him when I was reading Isaac’s Curse. I realised he made me wanna stab him in Scorched. I was totally in favour of Jay right now😌 to think that he didn’t really appealed to me when I read the 3 short stories prior to Scorched.
The progress of the book was smooth. I was completely immersed in the story by the time they reached Draven. Do not get me started on the ending! I have so many questions by the end of this book. Dying because of curiosity. I guess there will be more of love triangle trope in the second book but gosh, my heart already picked Jadox. RIP🙂
This is perfect for those who love fantasy and romance (especially those who love love triangle). The paperback of the book will be available on March 3, 2023.
December 26, 2022
Cassie Swindon is a new writer to me, I was not familiar with her work. Now I'm glad I got the chance to read an ARC through the author.
When you open the book you immediately fall into a scene that shows Kyra in a dangerous situation. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and that's basically how it is throughout the story 'Scorched'.
What a great story in a world she describes. Where days have 30 hours, the most favorite mode of transport is a hoverboard and everyone has an s-watch (a kind of telephone) The world Kyra lives in with imposed rules from the government, turns out to be more than she thought when, in her flees from her friend or captivator, she runs into Jadox who has magical powers. And then she turns out to be a magician herself, one with a golden circle that seems to be put into her body from nowhere. She is tired of all the men lying to her, cheating and mistreating her and she never wishes to see a man again... and then every man disappears in a ball of fire! But her nephew Landon has also disappeared. Kyra realizes that Jadox is the only one who can help her and she goes with him to Draven, his village where he can teach her how her powers work in hopes of bringing Landon back.
A fantastic journey is described where Kyra learns to trust Jadox (but not entirely because of her past and the experiences she had with men), where she learns to understand her powers, where the whole world hunts her because she is the witch who made men disappear and where Kyra and Jadox come to love each other.
Part 1 in a series of 3 books. I hope the 2nd part (Severed) won't take too long and I get another chance at an ARC so I can keep following this series
Highly recommended
When you open the book you immediately fall into a scene that shows Kyra in a dangerous situation. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and that's basically how it is throughout the story 'Scorched'.
What a great story in a world she describes. Where days have 30 hours, the most favorite mode of transport is a hoverboard and everyone has an s-watch (a kind of telephone) The world Kyra lives in with imposed rules from the government, turns out to be more than she thought when, in her flees from her friend or captivator, she runs into Jadox who has magical powers. And then she turns out to be a magician herself, one with a golden circle that seems to be put into her body from nowhere. She is tired of all the men lying to her, cheating and mistreating her and she never wishes to see a man again... and then every man disappears in a ball of fire! But her nephew Landon has also disappeared. Kyra realizes that Jadox is the only one who can help her and she goes with him to Draven, his village where he can teach her how her powers work in hopes of bringing Landon back.
A fantastic journey is described where Kyra learns to trust Jadox (but not entirely because of her past and the experiences she had with men), where she learns to understand her powers, where the whole world hunts her because she is the witch who made men disappear and where Kyra and Jadox come to love each other.
Part 1 in a series of 3 books. I hope the 2nd part (Severed) won't take too long and I get another chance at an ARC so I can keep following this series
Highly recommended
December 30, 2022
First things first, thank you Cassie for the arc.
This was such a good story and can't wait to see what happens next after that cliffhanger. Though there was a little teaser about it in the short story following this book.
A fun action filled fantasy story with some spice and duel pov.
The characters were so interesting and fun to follow.
Kyra, a drummer in a band, just wanted to get some money and disappear from her abusive bf.
But when he caught her in the act of escaping she didn't know she'd make it out alive.
That's when Jadox, a solider, appears and his dog. Such a cute dog, chocolate.
Who is this guy and why's he after her necklace?
Then after a crazy fluke, all men disappear. Well not all of them. Jadox is still there.
And others like him.
But how, why.
And how do we return the other men who aren't so lucky.
Chaos arises and things get even crazier for Kyra.
Who can Kyra trust and who's lying and what's this new world Kyra finds herself in she never knew existed.
Other things I liked is that the author included a list of the characters and their characteristics. Sometimes it can get lost going through a story and your scrambling to remember some things.
Also she included a list of the creatures in the story and their descriptions
And same with the tribes and their elemental powers and descriptions.
Just little things that are nice sometimes.
Highly recommend if you enjoy a good fantasy action packed story
This was such a good story and can't wait to see what happens next after that cliffhanger. Though there was a little teaser about it in the short story following this book.
A fun action filled fantasy story with some spice and duel pov.
The characters were so interesting and fun to follow.
Kyra, a drummer in a band, just wanted to get some money and disappear from her abusive bf.
But when he caught her in the act of escaping she didn't know she'd make it out alive.
That's when Jadox, a solider, appears and his dog. Such a cute dog, chocolate.
Who is this guy and why's he after her necklace?
Then after a crazy fluke, all men disappear. Well not all of them. Jadox is still there.
And others like him.
But how, why.
And how do we return the other men who aren't so lucky.
Chaos arises and things get even crazier for Kyra.
Who can Kyra trust and who's lying and what's this new world Kyra finds herself in she never knew existed.
Other things I liked is that the author included a list of the characters and their characteristics. Sometimes it can get lost going through a story and your scrambling to remember some things.
Also she included a list of the creatures in the story and their descriptions
And same with the tribes and their elemental powers and descriptions.
Just little things that are nice sometimes.
Highly recommend if you enjoy a good fantasy action packed story
January 2, 2023
Enemies to lovers is my favourite trope and Swindon executes it perfectly in the first book of the 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆.
We have elemental magik, a morally grey male MC and a female MC that wishes all men away and left to fight a world with Mystiers and Ordulls.
I enjoyed the plot and was intrigued by the Linking and how it connects the two characters in an emotional way. There is action and magik as well as some romance. I want to keep it spoiler free, but the title of the series and the cover are a huge clue as to what this book is about. The moment it makes sense so much starts falling into place.
My favourite scene was when Jadox called Kyra 'Petal', especially when he explained to her why he chose that nickname. *SWOON* When characters have nicknames for each other, I am all heart eyes. Then we have Isaac, which I absolutely need more of. If you see his character aesthetic on Swindon's Instagram page, then you'll understand why.
A glossary of terms is included at the back of the book which I really appreciated—a breakdown of characters, spells and creatures. There are some spicy scenes, as the tension builds between Jadox and Kyra. Enemies to lovers at its best.
I can't wait for the next book in the series, I need to know what happens next! If you're a fan of fantasy, be sure to add this to your TBR. You'll want to binge-read this series.
Recommend for 18+.
*Be sure to check the TW
Thank you to the author for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
We have elemental magik, a morally grey male MC and a female MC that wishes all men away and left to fight a world with Mystiers and Ordulls.
I enjoyed the plot and was intrigued by the Linking and how it connects the two characters in an emotional way. There is action and magik as well as some romance. I want to keep it spoiler free, but the title of the series and the cover are a huge clue as to what this book is about. The moment it makes sense so much starts falling into place.
My favourite scene was when Jadox called Kyra 'Petal', especially when he explained to her why he chose that nickname. *SWOON* When characters have nicknames for each other, I am all heart eyes. Then we have Isaac, which I absolutely need more of. If you see his character aesthetic on Swindon's Instagram page, then you'll understand why.
A glossary of terms is included at the back of the book which I really appreciated—a breakdown of characters, spells and creatures. There are some spicy scenes, as the tension builds between Jadox and Kyra. Enemies to lovers at its best.
I can't wait for the next book in the series, I need to know what happens next! If you're a fan of fantasy, be sure to add this to your TBR. You'll want to binge-read this series.
Recommend for 18+.
*Be sure to check the TW
Thank you to the author for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 16, 2023
What would your first Magik wish be?
The author warns about triggers, and rightfully so. But it’s definitely in context so that we can get a better grasp on Kyra and why she reacts the way she does. And boy, does she react! With a book description’s opening line of “All men deserve to rot in eternal Abyss”, readers do need to have some context of why Kyra thinks that.
Not all character or plot developments will trigger:
‘Kyra’s jaw was made of sharp corners of mistrust and a bone structure sliced from betrayal.’
‘This man didn’t deserve my tears.’
I really LOVED the author’s gardening reference in how to care for people:
‘How was I supposed to know if Kyra needed to be watered, pruned, or dug out of bad soil?’
Welcome to the world on the spectrum! For some of us NeuroDivergents, having “superpowers” can be a blessing and a curse. Same for Kyra until she adjust to her new reality:
‘…somehow my hearing had gone into overdrive like a superhero, and every sound was magnified, a cacophony of melodies combined with rambunctious noise, all mixed in a pile of notes and beats.’
At the end, the author provides readers with various ‘Linked Trilogy’ resources: Glossary of Terms, list of Characters, Creature descriptions, Mystier Tribes, Locations, Necklaces, some spells from the Unetlo Book, Enhancements, the Chronological Order of the Linked Trilogy, and a short filler story (about Caspian) as we await the next two books (‘Severed’ and ‘Shattered’).
I have some of the ‘Golden Chain’ series to keep me busy in the meantime.
The author warns about triggers, and rightfully so. But it’s definitely in context so that we can get a better grasp on Kyra and why she reacts the way she does. And boy, does she react! With a book description’s opening line of “All men deserve to rot in eternal Abyss”, readers do need to have some context of why Kyra thinks that.
Not all character or plot developments will trigger:
‘Kyra’s jaw was made of sharp corners of mistrust and a bone structure sliced from betrayal.’
‘This man didn’t deserve my tears.’
I really LOVED the author’s gardening reference in how to care for people:
‘How was I supposed to know if Kyra needed to be watered, pruned, or dug out of bad soil?’
Welcome to the world on the spectrum! For some of us NeuroDivergents, having “superpowers” can be a blessing and a curse. Same for Kyra until she adjust to her new reality:
‘…somehow my hearing had gone into overdrive like a superhero, and every sound was magnified, a cacophony of melodies combined with rambunctious noise, all mixed in a pile of notes and beats.’
At the end, the author provides readers with various ‘Linked Trilogy’ resources: Glossary of Terms, list of Characters, Creature descriptions, Mystier Tribes, Locations, Necklaces, some spells from the Unetlo Book, Enhancements, the Chronological Order of the Linked Trilogy, and a short filler story (about Caspian) as we await the next two books (‘Severed’ and ‘Shattered’).
I have some of the ‘Golden Chain’ series to keep me busy in the meantime.
December 31, 2022
[I was kindly offered an eARC by the author on exchange for an honest review, thank you again for trusting me !]
3.5/5
The premise of this book is really interesting. It is written with the current gender inequalities in mind and it shows. For once, there is an open conversation about consent, men treating women poorly are called out, … : the cliche of the edgy dominant guy is out of the window and it is good to see.
The world and characters are well built and vivid, the story is interesting and not cliché.
The world offers two sides, so there is vibes mixed from a cyberpunk universe and a open door fantasy with a lot of outside in the nature scene, I’d never seen such a universe before, it’s actually fun to see a new hybrid setting.
The book was good but some things kept it from being a favorite, some scenes felt incoherent with the context they put it place, and the first person POVs sometimes felt wattpadish to me (repetitions, comment in italic, …).
I still enjoyed it and I think a lot of people will love it !
3.5/5
The premise of this book is really interesting. It is written with the current gender inequalities in mind and it shows. For once, there is an open conversation about consent, men treating women poorly are called out, … : the cliche of the edgy dominant guy is out of the window and it is good to see.
The world and characters are well built and vivid, the story is interesting and not cliché.
The world offers two sides, so there is vibes mixed from a cyberpunk universe and a open door fantasy with a lot of outside in the nature scene, I’d never seen such a universe before, it’s actually fun to see a new hybrid setting.
The book was good but some things kept it from being a favorite, some scenes felt incoherent with the context they put it place, and the first person POVs sometimes felt wattpadish to me (repetitions, comment in italic, …).
I still enjoyed it and I think a lot of people will love it !
February 16, 2023
Scorched is a NA Fantasy Romance that follows the story of Kyra who has a rocky history with men and suddenly made them disappear from the planet. except for Jadox. As they race to find a way to return the male species, the governments of the world is looking for those who are responsible. Jadox is holding a secret - he isn't the last man on Earth.
Kyra is stubborn, strong, and feisty while Jadox is hot, so full of himself, and sex on a stick a$$hole. Most of the time, Kyra and Jadox don't get along AT ALL. But as they race to find a way to return the lost species, the two are forced to spend some time together. And every time, Jadox manages to infuriate the hell out of Kyra.
I don't know about you but I love reading about book men who are arrogant, mean, & infuriating. For me it makes the book more exciting!
Highly recommended for every Romantasy reader who enjoys a quick paced tale with a fierce female protagonist, an arrogant sex on a stick asshole, spicy love interest, found family, intriguing magic system, hilarious banter, and a mixed touch of Fantasy & Sci-Fi!
Kyra is stubborn, strong, and feisty while Jadox is hot, so full of himself, and sex on a stick a$$hole. Most of the time, Kyra and Jadox don't get along AT ALL. But as they race to find a way to return the lost species, the two are forced to spend some time together. And every time, Jadox manages to infuriate the hell out of Kyra.
I don't know about you but I love reading about book men who are arrogant, mean, & infuriating. For me it makes the book more exciting!
Highly recommended for every Romantasy reader who enjoys a quick paced tale with a fierce female protagonist, an arrogant sex on a stick asshole, spicy love interest, found family, intriguing magic system, hilarious banter, and a mixed touch of Fantasy & Sci-Fi!
March 14, 2023
This story starts in a club where the FMC, Kyra, is attempting to get away from her abusive boyfriend/manager. This is where she meets the MMC, Jadox, and learns that she has Magik. Unfortunately, shortly after, Kyra makes a wish for all men to disappear and they do. All Ordulls (humans) that is. Together they embark on a journey to put things right.
A few parts had some pacing problems and there was definitely some cringe in here but wasn't a bad story overall. I respected Jadox for asking Kyra's permission to touch her whether it was romantic or not and Kyra for doing her best to move past her trauma to have a future.
Around 70% of the book, there's a pretty spicy scene that wraps up the bits and pieces throughout the book that tried to make it a smut book. Reader beware if you don't like smut!
The ending shows the promise of a love triangle in the next book and I'm not sure how I feel about that. This certain character had his morals flipped and I would rather not end up liking this character for whatever reason.
I received this as an ARC and am leaving an honest review
A few parts had some pacing problems and there was definitely some cringe in here but wasn't a bad story overall. I respected Jadox for asking Kyra's permission to touch her whether it was romantic or not and Kyra for doing her best to move past her trauma to have a future.
Around 70% of the book, there's a pretty spicy scene that wraps up the bits and pieces throughout the book that tried to make it a smut book. Reader beware if you don't like smut!
The ending shows the promise of a love triangle in the next book and I'm not sure how I feel about that. This certain character had his morals flipped and I would rather not end up liking this character for whatever reason.
I received this as an ARC and am leaving an honest review
December 26, 2022
How do you trust a man when men have done nothing but hurt you. Physically, mentally and emotionally.
Kyra has had a hard life, being hurt by the men that were supposed to love and protect her. The only person she can trust is her sister and the only boy she loves is her young nephew. She swore that she'd never trust a man ever again. That is, until a handsome stranger saves her life.
Jadox has been looking for Kyra. She has something he wants. Something he needs in order to be forgiven by his family. What he didn't expect was to find Kyra fighting for her life. He also didn't expect this feeling of wanting to protect her to hit him like a Mack truck.
While the story was intriguing and the descriptions of the characters, places and fight scenes vivid, there were some parts that were hard to follow. Almost like starting a movie in the middle. Mind you, there are three novellas about Kyra, Jadox and Issac that I didn't read before starting this book, so that could be the reason it feels that way.
I will say this, if you're looking for an enemies to lovers with adventure and spice, check out this book.
Kyra has had a hard life, being hurt by the men that were supposed to love and protect her. The only person she can trust is her sister and the only boy she loves is her young nephew. She swore that she'd never trust a man ever again. That is, until a handsome stranger saves her life.
Jadox has been looking for Kyra. She has something he wants. Something he needs in order to be forgiven by his family. What he didn't expect was to find Kyra fighting for her life. He also didn't expect this feeling of wanting to protect her to hit him like a Mack truck.
While the story was intriguing and the descriptions of the characters, places and fight scenes vivid, there were some parts that were hard to follow. Almost like starting a movie in the middle. Mind you, there are three novellas about Kyra, Jadox and Issac that I didn't read before starting this book, so that could be the reason it feels that way.
I will say this, if you're looking for an enemies to lovers with adventure and spice, check out this book.
February 2, 2023
[arc review]
Big thank you to Cassie Swindon for giving me the opportunity to read Scorched as an arc! I really enjoyed the book and am eager to learn more about this world.
At times, I had some difficulty believing the pace at which characters were developing and I found that there were opportunities for growth, slower burns and a little more maturity in the actual story craft. The romance slipped into simplified tropes at time while developing but ultimately carried me through to pieces that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Kyra is a person I've met before but found out new things about through her journey. Her familiar feisty personality and determination is the reason I follow heroines like her, but the healing journey she goes through is the reason I loved her.
Scorched is definitely worth the read if you're into awesome heroines, tropes (in a good way!), interesting intricate magical realism worlds and romantasy.
Big thank you to Cassie Swindon for giving me the opportunity to read Scorched as an arc! I really enjoyed the book and am eager to learn more about this world.
At times, I had some difficulty believing the pace at which characters were developing and I found that there were opportunities for growth, slower burns and a little more maturity in the actual story craft. The romance slipped into simplified tropes at time while developing but ultimately carried me through to pieces that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Kyra is a person I've met before but found out new things about through her journey. Her familiar feisty personality and determination is the reason I follow heroines like her, but the healing journey she goes through is the reason I loved her.
Scorched is definitely worth the read if you're into awesome heroines, tropes (in a good way!), interesting intricate magical realism worlds and romantasy.
January 30, 2023
Received this book has a free copy for a honest review.
A tale of magic and romance and life in general.
Kyra has had it with all men. When she makes a wish that all men disappear, she finds out that she has magical powers. The only male that hadn't disappeared was Jadox.
Jaddox is a soldier on a mission and even he can't explain why he is the only male left. He is also slowly falling for the annoying female, his words.
Follow along has Kyra learns how to handle her magical powers and how the world navigates not having any males.
A great story and easy to read. You will take turns cheering Kyra on or booing Kyra for some of her choices because she is stubborn to a fault. Also will find yourself rooting for Jadox.
A tale of magic and romance and life in general.
Kyra has had it with all men. When she makes a wish that all men disappear, she finds out that she has magical powers. The only male that hadn't disappeared was Jadox.
Jaddox is a soldier on a mission and even he can't explain why he is the only male left. He is also slowly falling for the annoying female, his words.
Follow along has Kyra learns how to handle her magical powers and how the world navigates not having any males.
A great story and easy to read. You will take turns cheering Kyra on or booing Kyra for some of her choices because she is stubborn to a fault. Also will find yourself rooting for Jadox.
January 30, 2023
Thank you to the author for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this, I thought it was a promising start to a new series. It had an interesting plot, a great love interest and a unique magic system. Dystopian fantasy isn’t usually my jam, but I found myself interested in the story and I wasn’t bored at all.
That being said, I think that some of the issues/dangerous situations seemed to be solved way too easily. I would’ve liked to see a bit more struggle instead of the characters being miraculously saved over and over again. I also found the FMC a bit annoying and reckless. I can see where she’s coming from though, so I hope that she will grow throughout the series.
I liked this, I thought it was a promising start to a new series. It had an interesting plot, a great love interest and a unique magic system. Dystopian fantasy isn’t usually my jam, but I found myself interested in the story and I wasn’t bored at all.
That being said, I think that some of the issues/dangerous situations seemed to be solved way too easily. I would’ve liked to see a bit more struggle instead of the characters being miraculously saved over and over again. I also found the FMC a bit annoying and reckless. I can see where she’s coming from though, so I hope that she will grow throughout the series.
January 8, 2023
I've seen a few reviews swithering on 3-4 stars for this one but I really enjoyed it. It did take me a minute to gel with Kyra, but her back story was troublesome so you can forgive her attitude, but Jadox I liked from the get go.
I also liked the inclusion of Issac and the possibility of another link to another tribe.
I loved Chocolate and Goldie too, who wouldn't!
The dystopian feel of this epic fantasy series gives off a great vibe and with the action, secrets and revelations, for me, made it a great read. It was quick, told from two pov but still melded together well.
Looking forward to book two
I also liked the inclusion of Issac and the possibility of another link to another tribe.
I loved Chocolate and Goldie too, who wouldn't!
The dystopian feel of this epic fantasy series gives off a great vibe and with the action, secrets and revelations, for me, made it a great read. It was quick, told from two pov but still melded together well.
Looking forward to book two
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