Storms (HighTower Fairytales) by Jacque Stevens

When Arianna freed the soul of the prince from a dark god and shattered the underworld, she assumed she could bring peace to the world above. But there are consequences to the powers she gained and a war brewing between the provinces that will require all her magic and heart.

To master her gifts and save her home, Ari climbs to the top of Olympus and fights a war with gods on either side.

First Line:

The Prince of Solis talked so much, not even death could shut him up.
storms by jacque stevens

I am a huge fan of Jacque Steven’s books. Something about them calls to me. Maybe because she doesn’t add anything extra to the plotline, or perhaps because I can easily picture the characters and plotline in my head when she writes them. Either way, I love her books. So when she sent out the ARC for Storms, I accepted it.

Storms is the 3rd (and final) book that is based on The Little Mermaid. I will warn you that you do need to read Depths and Graves before you read Storms. I didn’t, and I was a little lost at the beginning of the book. She does explain, briefly, the backstory. But, I strongly suggest that you read the first two books first. It will make understanding what is going on in this book a lot easier.

Storms is a relatively short book (127 pages), and because of that, I could read it within a day. It is a fast-paced book, with the storyline progressing quickly. As I mentioned above, the author keeps to the storyline, and there is almost nothing extra going on or secondary characters added at the last minute. That made it a delightful book for me to read.

I wasn’t too sure what to think of Ari during the book. I went between respect and disbelief. I am sure if I had read the previous books, I would have had a better opinion of her. I will say that Ari in siren mode was scary, and I didn’t blame Jonas for running away. I did doubt her humanity at specific points in the book. But once the middle of the book rolled around, her humanity was no longer in doubt. It took a lot of courage to do what she did, and by the end of the book, I was amazed by her.

I wasn’t too sure about the end of the book. On the one hand, I was happy about how Ari’s life turned out. But on the other hand, I did have a “what if” moment when someone made an appearance.

I would recommend Storms to anyone over the age of 16. There is violence, but otherwise is a clean book.

Marian’s Man: A Tale of Sherwood Forest (HighTower Fairytales) by Jacque Stevens

On 2021-11-252021-11-19 By JolieIn book review, Non ARC, sjacquebooks1 Comment

Publisher: sjacquebooks

Date of publication: September 23rd 2021

Genre: Fairy Tales, Young Adult, Fantasy

Series: HighTower Series

Winter Falls: A Tale of the Snow Queen—Book 1 (review here)

Cry Wolf: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast—Book 2

Lone Wolf: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast—Book 3

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast—Book 4

Between Dog and Wolf: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast—Book 5

Wolves at Bay: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast—Book 6

Depths—Book 7

Graves: A Tale of the Little Mermaid—Book 8

Storms—Book 9 (review here)

Robin’s Hood: A Tale of Sherwood Forest—Book 10 (review here)

Marian’s Man: A Tale of Sherwood Forest—Book 11

Lion’s Heart: A Tale of Sherwood Forest—Book 12

Letters by Cinderlight: A Tale of Cinderella—Book 13 (review here)

Wishes by Starlight: A Tale of Cinderella—Book 14

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:

Who is the man who holds her heart?

After playing Robin Hood for months, Marian is starting to wonder how well she knows Robin of Locksley. Her husband could just be depressed, returning from a war that should have claimed his life. He could just be adjusting to their new life in the forest. Marian wants to be patient, but after surrendering Locksley to the sheriff and his men, the villages need Robin Hood more than ever.

When a fight for a king’s ransom costs much more than gold, everything boils to the surface. How can Marian continue to take the name or even stay married to a man she now despises?

And who will wear the hood in the end?

If you like inspirational heroines, unique love stories, and non-stop twists and turns, this action-packed fantasy retelling is for you.

First Line:

Ballads of Robin Hood have spread through the English countryside like wildfire, becoming greater and more fantastic with every pass.
marian’s man by jacque stevens

I enjoy reading fairy tale/myth retellings. Each fairy tale retelling that I have read has been different and exciting. Though, I haven’t read a retelling about Robin Hood and was immediately interested when Robin’s Hood came out. Then I read the blurb for Marian’s Man, and I couldn’t wait to read it!!

Marian’s Man takes place shortly after the events at the end of Robin’s Hood. Rob and Mare have been reunited. Mare is prepared to keep wearing the hood, but Rob doesn’t want her to, and he takes on the Robin Hood persona. While Mare isn’t happy, she understands. During one of her forays into the village, Mare discovers that the Queen will be riding through the village on her way to pay the ransom for King Richard. She also finds that the sheriff and his cronies have a plan to rob the Queen. What will happen? Will Robin Hood come to the rescue? Or will the ransom be taken? And can Rob and Mare reconnect, or will Rob’s demons take over?

Marian’s Man is a fast-paced book that kept my attention the entire book. It is a short book (183 pages), and with the fast pace, it took me a couple of hours (broken up over the day) to read. There was no lag, and the author kept up the fast pace of the entire book.

Marian’s Man is told from both Rob and Mare’s POV. I loved that!! I liked being able to see Rob’s take on everything that was going on. It made the book much more interesting to read.

I felt terrible for Rob. He suffered while in the Middle East. I wasn’t surprised that he was having flashbacks, and I wasn’t surprised when he started to deal with his demons the way he did. I was a little surprised at how much he didn’t want to be Robin Hood. He hated the hood, which was a direct contrast to how Mare felt about it. I also liked seeing how honest he was with himself about how he felt about Mare. It was refreshing to see a man lay it all out.

I liked Mare in Marian’s Man. She was determined to stand by Rob, no matter what. While she was confused by how he acted (the flashbacks made him do awful things), she was there for him. She wasn’t happy about not being Robin Hood. She loved wearing the hood and outsmarting the sheriff. So, I wasn’t surprised by what she did towards the end of the book.

Mare and Rob’s romance was a slow burn throughout the book. I did get aggravated with them during certain scenes. They were madly in love with each other, and then they would act a fool because of jealousy. But other than that, I enjoyed their romance.

This is a clean book. There is no sex, and there is a handful of kissing scenes. The chemistry between Mare and Rob is palpable, and I can’t wait for them to finally get down and dirty.

There is a hint of a love triangle, which I didn’t like. I felt that it could have been left out of the book because it added nothing to it.

The end of Marian’s Man was excellent. While it didn’t take me by surprise, it shocked me a little. I cannot wait to read the next book and see what happens then!!

I would recommend Marian’s Man to anyone over the age of 16. There is no sex (some kissing scenes), but there is violence.

Fallen (Crowns of Twelve: Book 3) by Ann Hunter

On 2016-04-132022-11-07 By JolieIn Afterglow Productions, book review, Non ARC3 Comments

Fallen: fractured fairy tales -- THE FROG PRINCE (Crowns of the Twelve Book 3) by [Hunter, Ann]

Publisher: Afterglow Productions

Date of publication: October 3, 2014

Genre: Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tales

Series: Crowns of Twelve

The Subtle Beauty—Book 1 (review here)

Moonlight—Book 2 (review here)

Fallen—Book 3

A Piece of Sky—Book 4 (review here)

The Rose in the Briar—Book 5

Ashes—Book 6

In The Mean While—Book 7

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

One prince. One mistake. One… chicken?

A twisted retelling of The Frog Prince, featuring your favorite villain from The Subtle Beauty & Moonlight, Sylas Mortas.

What would YOU do for love?

17-year-old Prince Sylas of Killeagh wants what everyone else wants: control over his own life. When he tries to run away from home and escape an arranged marriage, the last thing he expects is to fall in love with a robber in the woods. Hiding behind a mask, the robber girl seems to lead a life of freedom Sylas has only dreamed of. Their adventure comes to an end when the Castle Killeagh guards hunt Sylas down and he’s forced to return home. He convinces his parents to allow him to find the girl again and consider her as a candidate for marriage, but he only has until the next full moon to find her, or all bets are off.

Death has a name, and it is Crwys. As a ban sidhe, her job is to visit the great houses of The Summer Isle and keen out the living to prepare them for death. King Sionnach has far outlived his days and it is time he crosses the Unliving World. When she arrives, a young prince named Sylas intervenes and offers to go in his grandfather’s stead. This break with tradition, and selfless sacrifice, move Crwys into loving Sylas, who looks so much like a shadow from her past. But when he crosses her to be with his true love, he invokes the wrath of a woman scorned.

Rós is just a little, aura-seeing, red hen whose master believes she is chosen by the gods. Her arrival at King Sionnach’s court is insignificant to Sylas at the time, but their destinies are interwoven. Can she help Sylas save himself from the curse Crwys has planned for him? Or will he become a fallen frog prince?

As stated in the synopsis, this book is a fantastic retelling of The Frog Prince, and what a retelling it is. The author did something that I have rarely seen while reading books. She took a villain and told HIS side of the story. And guess what, he wasn’t as bad as he was made out to be in the other books!!!

I loved Sylas Mortas’s story, and what made me love it was that it had Ros in it. Ros had her own story in A Piece of Sky, where she carried a magical acorn to safety. I was excited when I saw that she reappeared (and was a major factor) in this book. I loved her character in that book, and her character didn’t disappoint in this book, either.

The story was awesome too. The story is about a prince who sacrifices three times for the people he loves.

I did feel bad for Crwys at points in the book. All she wanted was to be loved, and she made an enemy by forcing Sylas to love her.

If you enjoyed reading Fallen, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

On 2016-04-082022-11-07 By JolieIn book review, David Meredith, Non ARCLeave a comment

The Reflections of Queen Snow White by [Meredith, David]

Publisher: David Meredith

Date of publication: October 2nd, 2013

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adult, Retellings, Fairy Tale, Fairy Tale Retellings, Magic, Adventure, High Fantasy

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible

Goodreads synopsis:

What happens when “happily ever after” has come and gone?

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven’s wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished, and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven’s fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White’s own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:

The king is dead.

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what “happily ever after” really means?

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.

I have always wondered what happened to the fairy tale characters after the tale’s end. What was their life like after the words “Happily Ever After” were written? I know I am not the only one who has thought this. I mean, it’s hard not to think about it.

If you are like me and have wondered about “Happily Ever After, “ you should read this book.

It was a wonderfully written, descriptive book about Snow White and the aftermath of Prince Charming’s death. It also tells how she finds the Magic Mirror and uses it to see her true self. The flashback scenes are all heartbreaking. The author, for the most part, stayed very true to the fairytale.

The ending was not what I expected, and it did delight me.

If you enjoyed reading The Reflections of Queen Snow White, you will enjoy these books:

Moonlight (Crowns of the Twelve: Book 2) by Ann Hunter

On 2016-03-162022-11-07 By JolieIn Afterglow Productions, book review, Non ARC3 Comments

Publisher: Afterglow Productions

Date of publication: March 3, 2014

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tales, Fairy Tale Retellings, Magic, Fantasy Romance

Series: Crowns of the Twelve

The Subtle Beauty—Book 1 (review here)

Moonlight—Book 2

Fallen—Book 3 (review here)

A Piece of Sky—Book 4 (review here)

The Rose in the Briar—Book 5

Ashes—Book 6

In The Mean While—Book 7

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible

Goodreads synopsis:

One vow. One curse. One thousand moons.

While Princess Aowyn’s six brothers are favored by their father, Aowyn is the jewel in her mother’s crown. When the Queen dies, Aowyn takes a vow to protect her brothers and father from the hungry eyes of the queen’s handmaiden, Ciatlllait – who is more than she seems.

In order to save her family, Aowyn risks a dangerous deal with the dark creature Sylas Mortas. But magic comes with a price: and Aowyn soon realizes the one she has paid is too steep.

Only true love can reverse the spell…but it will take one thousand moons.

Set in a Celtic world, “Moonlight” is the story of faith and true love woven through a breathtaking retelling of the classic folktale “The Swan Princess”.

Another fantastic book by Ann Hunter!!!

As said in the synopsis, this is a retelling of The Swan Princess, and what a retelling it is!!! It is also the love story of Xander and Aowyn (told in her first book of the series: The Subtle Beauty).

I loved that again; the story featured Celtic lore. If I haven’t mentioned before, I love anything Celtic. This obsession started in my teens, and I haven’t lost my love for it over the years.

I loved Aowyn’s devotion to her brothers and her mother’s memory.

If you enjoyed reading Moonlight, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Subtle Beauty (Crowns of The Twelve: Book 1) by Ann Hunter

On 2016-03-102022-11-07 By JolieIn Afterglow Productions, book review, Non ARC3 Comments

The Subtle Beauty: A fractured Beauty & the Beast retelling (Crowns of the Twelve Book 1) by [Hunter, Ann]

Publisher: Afterglow Productions

Date of publication: January 2nd, 2014

Series: Crowns of The Twelve

The Subtle Beauty—Book 1

Moonlight—Book 2 (review here)

Fallen—Book 3 (review here)

A Piece of Sky—Book 4 (review here)

The Rose in the Briar—Book 5

Ashes—Book 6

In The Mean While—Book 7

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Young Adult, Beauty and The Beast, Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fantasy Romance, Magic

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo |Apple Books

Goodreads synopsis:

A cursed prince. A vain beauty. Glory is the seventh daughter of Balthazar, High King of the Twelve Kingdoms. Glory hopes that – of all her sisters – she can escape the fate of a loveless marriage. But on the night she plans to elope with the royal falconer, her world comes crashing down: Her father announces Glory’s betrothal to Eoghan of the Blood Realm – a prince no one has ever seen. The prince is said to be a recluse, cursed and deformed by the gods for the sins of his power-hungry father. Yet when Glory is trapped in Blackthorn Keep she discovers that not everything is what she expected. An insulting gryphon, a persistent ghost, and a secret plan to usurp the prince keep Glory reeling.

In this retelling of BEAUTY & THE BEAST, can Glory overcome her vanity to learn that what she wants isn’t what she needs—and save the cursed prince?

I enjoyed reading this book. The first chapter (where we meet Xander and Aowynn) hooked me. Put it this way; I finished the book in a day, which never happens these days.

The combo of it being a retelling of a fairy tale and the fact that it takes place in Ireland made me love it. The author included Gaelic phrases and put a directory at the end of the book so you could reference it.

The Colin/Eoghan/Glory triangle was heartbreaking. I did like seeing Glory’s character change. It was a huge transformation.

Oh, and Colin got what was coming to him; just saying.

The ending made me cry. I mean, who wouldn’t? It was the perfect ending to the book.

If you enjoyed reading The Subtle Beauty, you will enjoy reading these books:

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Tag: fairy tales

Storms (HighTower Fairytales) by Jacque Stevens

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Marian’s Man: A Tale of Sherwood Forest (HighTower Fairytales) by Jacque Stevens

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Fallen (Crowns of Twelve: Book 3) by Ann Hunter

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The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

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Moonlight (Crowns of the Twelve: Book 2) by Ann Hunter

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The Subtle Beauty (Crowns of The Twelve: Book 1) by Ann Hunter

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