Month: September 2024

Blog Tour Review: Blood Price by Nicole Evans

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Hi friends, I’m so excited to share my thoughts on Blood Price as part of the blog tour hosted by the author, Nicole Evans! I’m so lucky to be part of the group that got to read this book early and I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on it!

Before I dive into my review though, I wanted to take a moment to say how proud I am of Nicole and that she’s publishing her debut! 🎉 I can’t remember when I first discovered Nicole’s blog, Thoughts Stained in Ink, but it is always a pleasure to visit her blog, and I quickly grew to love her writing. Let’s just say that the wonderful quality of her writing is evident in this story. Congratulations, Nicole! This is a banger of a debut. 😍

Blood Price (Prices Asked and Paid)
Publication Date: 1 October 2024
Genre: Adult Fantasy

Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

The law of the gods is those who kill must pay for it in blood.

In the land of Armadin, where nine clans exist in a fragile peace, Ashilde is one of the few chosen to pay the blood price. Through it, she becomes a warrior, capable of killing to protect her clan—alongside her hunters, who provide the essential animal sacrifice, lest they become the next clan to suffer the gods’ wrath.

When an attack wipes out their few remaining hunters, Ashilde must find a way to protect her clan and still appease the gods, despite her shaken faith. But when her monthly bleeding stops, she can no longer kill. Cast out by the gods’ decree, she’s given a single task: travel to the gods’ realm, atoning for the failures of the clan and herself alike. If she dies, another will be sent in her place, until the demanded atonement is fulfilled or her clan is wiped out. Entirely.

Bound by a promise to protect her people above all else, Ashilde embarks on a quest driven for answers. Aided only by a pair of animals and a small child she meets along the way, Ashilde must battle the elements, her pursuers and her own mind to reach the gods’ realm.

To save her people, Ashilde’s journey forces her to answer the ultimate is she willing to pay the price asked of her, now that she can no longer pay in blood?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Please note that some content in the novel may be triggering. A list of warnings, to be best of my knowledge, are listed below and will be updated as necessary.

On the page: Verbal abuse, anxiety, blood, graphic injury, death, murder, trauma, depression, guilt, death of a parent, death of a sibling, death of a child, pregnancy, animal death, foreplay
Mentioned: animal sacrifice, child abuse (past, referenced), war
Minor: hunger (starvation)

📚 BUY A COPY

TL;DR: If you’re looking for a fantasy with a uniquely developed matriarchal societal system, a world based on Nordic mythology, and a tough-as-nails FMC warrior who is relentless and has a huge bone to pick with her Gods, then look no further than Blood Price. This was a well-written debut set in a richly developed fantasy world with characters, both human and non-human alike, that will grow on you. I’m so curious to see where this story leads and how Ashilde will triumph.

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The TBR Book Tag

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a tag and the TBR Book Tag looked fun and easy enough to whip up answers to quickly! 😂 I was tagged by the awesome @24hryabookblog. If you haven’t already I’d highly recommend checking out her blog because it’s full of awesome bookish content, especially of the YA variety (if the name didn’t already give that away)! 😉 Now, enough waffling from me—let’s get on with the book tag!

It took a bit of searching but I managed to track down the original creator: A Perfection Called Books. However, their blog is accessible by invite only but I still thought I’d link up to it anyway!

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

Despite trying various methods over the years, the one tried and true tracker that never fails me is Goodreads. I have a tendency to add every book that strikes my fancy at a given moment to my ‘to-read’ list there, but over the past few years, I’ve created a yearly releases list to help me keep track of new books that I want to get my grubby hands on.

Is your TBR mostly print or e-books?

Over the years, my e-book collection has far surpassed my print. It’s so much easier and cheaper for me to get ebooks these days, especially if I want to read indie or older releases. It’s not even particularly easy for me to get print copies of many new trad pub books unless they’re “big name” authors (Henry, Maas, Clare) or TikTok famous books whose stock dominates the shelves at my local bookstore.

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

As a mood reader, the choice is mainly determined by what I feel like reaching for next. This is probably why my TBR always expands so quickly, as I’m always looking out for the next book that’ll pique my mood’s interest if none of the thousands on my shelves catch my eye. 😮‍💨 It can never just be easy, can it? Lol.

A book that’s been on your TBR the longest

According to Goodreads, Beloved has been on my TBR the longest. I added it back in 2012!

A book that you recently added to your TBR

I added Bright Young Women to my TBR recently after seeing the ebook go on sale for 99p a couple of weeks ago. I’d seen it circulating everywhere on bookstagram a few months ago and it had piqued my interest then too!

A book on your TBR you strictly bought because of the beautiful cover

The Familiars has been on my TBR for several years now but I initially bought it before even knowing what it was about after seeing this gorgeous cover (all the details 😍)!

A book on your TBR you never actually plan on reading

I don’t think it would be accurate to really say that I never actually plan on reading A Tale of Two Cities but it is one that I’m saving for… A time in the future? I tried picking it up last year after buying it and woo, the writing just flew over my head! 😂

An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for

I’m quite excited to read House of Frank! It sounds like it’ll wreck me emotionally and I’m an absolute sucker for books like that! 😂

📖 SYNOPSIS

A warm and hopeful story of a lonely witch consumed by grief who discovers a whimsical cast of characters in a magical arboretum—and the healing power of found family.

Powerless witch Saika is ready to enact her sister’s final to plant her remains at the famed Ash Gardens. When Saika arrives at the always-stormy sanctuary, she is welcomed by its owner, an enormous, knit-cardiganed mythical beast named Frank, who offers her a role as one of the estate’s caretakers.

Overcome with grief, Saika accepts, desperate to put off her final farewell to her sister. But the work requires a witch with intrinsic power, and Saika’s been disconnected from her magic since her sister’s death two years prior. Saika gets by at the sanctuary using a fragment of a fallen star to cast enchantments—while hiding the embarrassing truth about herself.

As Saika works harder in avoidance of her pain, she learns more about Frank, the decaying house at Ash Gardens, and the lives of the motley staff, including bickering twin cherubs, a mute ghost, a cantankerous elf, and an irritating half witch, among others. Over time, she rediscovers what it means to love and be wholly loved and how to allow her joy and grief to coexist. Warm and inventive, House of Frank is a stirring portrait of the ache of loss and the healing embrace of love.

A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read except you

Honestly, this could apply to all of Emily Henry’s books because they’re so popular and well-loved. People We Meet on Vacation might be the one that I hear most people talking about though (I think?)! 😂

A book on your TBR that everyone recommends

This was a tough pick because there are tons on my list that many people recommend but A Man Called Ove is recommended by everyone and their mum! 😂

A book on your TBR that you’re just dying to read

An American Marriage, The Count of Monte Cristo, Furiously Happy, The Heart Principle, The Ten Thousand Doors of January

Another tough one to pick from… I can’t pick one so I’m listing five… But there are so many that I’m dying to read ASAP! 😂

The number of books on your Goodreads shelf

Since this prompt doesn’t mention my TBR shelf specifically, I assume that it means my Goodreads shelf in general including all the books I’ve read, right? 🤭 That’s how I’m going to take it (because how rude if it’s asking me to divulge my dirty little TBR number! 🤣) In total, I have 2,707 books on Goodreads!

And that’s it for the TBR Book Tag! I’m not tagging anyone specifically but if you’d love to do it, feel free to link back! I’d love to know what books are sitting around on your TBR and how many books you have on your Goodreads! 😄

Blog signature that reads: Let's Chat! xoxo, Dini

#TopTenTuesday: “C” You Don’t Miss Out!

Dini @ dinipandareads21 Comments

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s topic is Ten Characters Authors Surprisingly Redeemed (which characters did you not like at first, but grew to love by the end of the book?) (submitted by Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse) but I’m going rogue!

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [250]

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today!

I’m spending my Sunday night in bed reading Blood Price. I’ve been excited, and admittedly a bit nervous, to start this because it’s written by the wonderful Nicole Evans, aka Thoughts Stained in Ink. I’m so lucky that I get to read an early copy as part of the tour for Nicole’s debut! 25% in and I’m really enjoying it but I want to throw down for Ashilde so bad. Girl is really going through it and my heart hurts! Have I teared up twice already? YES 😭

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BBNYA Blog Tour Spotlight: Perception Check by Astrid Knight

Dini @ dinipandareads3 Comments

Happy Sunday, friends! As part of the BBNYA blog tour hosted by The Write Reads, I’m very excited to spotlight the BBNYA 2023 winner Perception Check by Astrid Knight. I’ve had this on my radar since last year and I can’t wait to read it when my schedule clears up! 😊

Special thanks to the tour organisers for having me on tour!

About the Book Blogger’s of the Year Award (BBNYA)

The BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.  If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website or Twitter. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Perception Check (The Mages of Velmyra Saga #1)
Publication Date: 24 May 2022
Genre: New Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Her favorite tabletop roleplaying game is real, and her kidnapped childhood best friend is trapped in a far off land. Will she be able to save her? Let’s roll initiative!

Violet Spence wants nothing more than to have a normal life. After witnessing her childhood best friend get abducted by monsters, that’s easier said than done. At twenty-three years old, Violet cannot seem to move past that fateful night ten years ago. Her only solace is Mages of Velmyra, a tabletop roleplaying game filled with goblins, fairies, and all-powerful magicians. But of course, that’s all fantasy.

Or, so she thought. As it turns out, the land of Velmyra is very real and the home of the monsters that took her best friend.

With the help of her friends (and the creator of the game itself), Violet must navigate the once-fictional creatures and powerful mages of Velmyra to retrieve a set of ancient relics—all in the hopes that the journey will lead her back to her friend. But for Violet, fighting monsters and magic workers doesn’t seem nearly as terrifying as confronting her own demons. And she’ll soon realize fighting the battle within herself can be just as tough as those fought against demigods.

Perception Check is the magical first installment of the Mages of Velmyra Saga, great for fans of Dungeons and Dragons, Critical Role, and The Magicians. With endearing and hilarious characters, an exploration of mental health and trauma, LGBTQ+ representation, gut-wrenching twists, and a whirlwind of an ending, you will never want to leave the world of Velmyra.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Perception Check deals with the topics of mental health (specifically depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidality) with mentions of childhood sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and animal violence.

📚 BUY A COPY
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#FirstLinesFriday: 13 September 2024

Dini @ dinipandareads3 Comments

Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First lines:

“You may not remember me, but I have never forgotten you, begins the letter written in the kind of cursive they don’t teach in schools anymore. I read the letter twice in stinging astonishment. It’s been forty-three years since my brush with the man even the most reputable papers called the All-American Sex Killer, and my name has long since fallen to a footnote in the story.”

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ARC Review: Nine Tailed by Jayci Lee

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Special thanks to Montlake for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nine Tailed (Realm of the Four Kingdoms #1)
Publisher: Montlake
Pub Date: 1 August 2024
Genre: Adult Romance Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(3 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

An enemy on her tails, an innocent at her side, and a dangerous power within her that could destroy them all. Jayci Lee melds Korean folklore with modern Americana in this fiery new series.

In a race to stop an ancient evil from destroying the worlds as they know them, Sunny comes to a startling, heartbreaking if she chooses love—everything will burn.

Sunny Cho aspires to be the dullest, least interesting person in any given room, which can be challenging for a nine-tailed fox spirit. So she drifts from city to city—staying clear of any and all attachment—and keeps her fox buried deep inside her. It is better this way. She would rather live as half of herself than risk losing control of her terrible powers.

Ethan Lee, a friend she left behind eight years ago, is a brilliant and distractingly hot PI. When he tracks her down and asks her to help him find his brother’s murderer, Sunny knows her uneventful life is about to be turned upside down.

Traversing the mortal realm and the world of gods, Sunny and Ethan discover their quest is much more dire than mere vengeance, and their friendship might be…more. An ancient evil is stirring, and Sunny is faced with an impossible save the worlds from annihilation or claim the love fated by the heavens.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Blood, violent deaths of family members (recounted), murder, gore, on-page sex

TL;DR: I love romance and fantasy, but until now, I don’t think I’ve read a book inspired by Asian mythology that isn’t in the YA category. So, I was very excited about getting my hands on a copy of Nine Tailed, and while there were elements I enjoyed a lot, I admit that not all of it worked for me. The world-building inspired by Korean mythology was fantastical and I also loved that the author’s enthusiasm for the mythology and characters came through in the writing. I also think the romance and interplay between the MCs will be favoured by those who love Maas and JLA’s romance fantasies and this will be most enjoyed by those who loved their books.

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#TopTenTuesday: Books That Provide a Much-Needed Escape

Dini @ dinipandareads18 Comments

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s topic is Books That Provide a Much-Needed Escape (bonus points if you tell us why!)

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Book Review: A Rival Most Vial by R.K. Ashwick

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

A Rival Most Vial (Side Quest Row #1)
Publisher: RK Ashwick Books
Pub Date: 25 January 2023
Genre: Adult Cosy Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Two potion shops, one heated rivalry… until hate bubbles over into something else.

Any adventurer worth their sword knows about Ambrose Beake. The proud, quiet half-elf sells the best, and only, potions in the city—until a handsome new shopkeeper named Eli opens another potion shop across the street, throwing Ambrose’s peace and ledgers far off balance.

Within weeks, they’re locked in a war of price tags and products—Ambrose’s expertise against Eli’s effortless charm. Toil leads to trouble, the safety gloves come off, and right as their rivalry reaches a boiling point…

The mayor commissions them to brew a potion together.

The task is as complex as it is lucrative, pushing both men to the limits of their abilities and patience. Yet as the fires burn and cauldrons bubble…they find a different sort of chemistry brewing.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Child abandonment and neglect (recounted), work injuries caused by explosion, blood

TL;DR: A Rival Most Vial was a sweet, heartwarming and delightful cosy fantasy! I loved everything about this from the rivals-to-lovers romance and the found family community to the potion-making and slice-of-life vibes. This is the perfect read for those looking for a low-stakes magical story about finding your path, recognising what family means, and embracing success on your own terms. Plus, it provides a wonderful escape from reality. The setting is a fun magical world and I can’t wait to read more about the shopkeepers of Rosemond Street in future books!

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