Yue may be the last of her kind. At night, she stalks the streets of the capital city of Longhao, luring in unsuspecting victims with the mask of a beautiful woman, then consuming them in her true form of the nine-tailed fox.

When she is captured by a powerful demon hunter named Sonam and banished to Hell, she manages one final act of dragging him—and two of his subordinates—down with her.

Now trapped in an abyss with unimaginable terrors, they’ll need each other’s help to navigate Hell and bypass the gods who preside over each circle, each of whom presents the group with a unique and deadly challenge. Forced to depend on one another as they claw their way out of the underworld, both demon and demon hunter discover that there might be more to the other than meets the eye.

Excerpt

Meet the author

KATRINA KWAN is a Canadian fantasy and contemporary romance author based in Vancouver. After graduating from Acadia University in 2017 with a BA in political science with honors, Kwan spent the next six years honing her creative skills as a freelance ghostwriter. With several ghostwritten romance novels under her belt, she’s ecstatic to finally be writing books under her own name.

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When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.

My thoughts…

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. Haymitch’s story is what President’s Snow’s story should have been. Where The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes felt more like the author trying to ride the coattails of the Hunger Games success, Sunrise on the Reaping is book that was actually well thought out and planned. Finally giving the readers a look into how the older generations handled the hunger games. This also kind of shows you just how long President Snow has been interfering in the games whenever he feels slighted by a sacrifice, er… I mean contestant.

I don’t want to go into too many details, but faces from the trilogy make an appearance in this story in various ways as Haymitch is thrown into the chaos of the hunger games. The story line follows a similar arc that Katniss’ story does with being reaped, being groomed, meeting the game makers, schmoozing for sponsors, surviving the games, and ultimately the life after the games. We are witness to Haymitch making connections and allies, having those be torn away from him, and moments where you’d swear it was the end for him, even though you know he lives. Seeing his story play out is a really heartbreaking tale, and in all honesty, I would have ended up as a drunk as well if I were in his shoes.

This was a solid read that stands on its own. It was a heartbreaking read, but it was one that I think a lot of us readers wanted. We wanted to know how Haymitch survived the games. We wanted to know what caused him to downward spiral. Was it memories of his time in the games and what he had done in order to survive, or was it just mentoring dying kid after dying kid? I always wanted to know his story, because as Katniss’ story progressed, he became more alert and invested in life. So you just knew that there was something that tore him down to a shell of a person with nothing left to live for. I’m glad that we finally got his story.

Step into the Coliseum at the Spartan War Academy where monsters are made, immortality is won, and even a god can die…

Alexis Hert isn’t a hero, and she certainly isn’t a god. All she’s ever been is a survivor.

But the Fates disagree.

When a blood test leads to her admittance at the Spartan War Academy, she’ll have to do more than merely survive.

Alexis will have to claim her birthright: immortality.

But immortality is a privilege, one earned in the crucible of the academy, where the heroes are villains and classrooms battlegrounds. While gladiators Achilles and Patro, her demanding mentors, hone her into a warrior, Augustus and Kharon, her professors and the brooding heirs to the underworld, haunt her steps and her thoughts.

Because where there are gods, there are bound to be monsters, and there is more than one hunting Alexis…

My thoughts…

Alexis is not one of those “pick me” kind of female characters. You know, the ones that are just so bad ass and awesome for no rhyme or reason. In fact, Alexis is in the foster system, and is placed in an abusive home. Covered in scars, starved, and honestly, may as well be homeless, Alexis navigates high school. However, all of this changes when she pricks her finger in order to turn in her test for school. You see, her blood doesn’t come out red like everyone else’s. Which immediately sends everyone into high alert that there is a mutt (Greek God/Human hybrid) in their midst that should not be there. Alexis is whisked away and sent to the crucible to either die, or live and become an immortal. This story follows her journey in the crucible.
I will say that I did have a hard time getting into this at first. There was just something not fully clicking for me. However, once Alexis enters the Spartan War Academy, I started to get my bearings and really started to enjoy the story. You see, during her schooling, which lasts months, they spend 2 week increments going to classes, being tested, and sometimes running the crucible (a deadly gauntlet). During all of this, they are not allowed to sleep, eat, or drink anything. So, some of the story telling is disjointed and jumps around because Alexis, herself, is mentally struggling with the lack of sleep and food. However, it’s these rare out of pocket moments of delirium that had be entertained.

This story also has moments where we follow other characters in the book that play a large roll in Alexis’ story. It was interesting getting inside their heads to get a better understanding of them as a character. Now, I’m not going to say that I fully understand them, because I don’t. They are a bit twisted in the head and definitely schemed their way into certain things, which was less than admirable. Even still, their level of possessiveness was a delicious thing to read.

While this doesn’t necessarily end on a cliffhanger, Alexis’ story is only just beginning. Things are still developing, her world with the Spartans is only just starting, and there’s so much we don’t know about who she is at her core. All we saw was sleep deprived and starved Alexis trying to survive. I’m interested to see how she fares when she’s gotten sleep and is fed.

When it comes to dragons, there’s no such thing as safe.

I learned that the hard way when my kith and kindred were slaughtered right before my eyes.

Everyone thinks the wyverns and the sorcai did it, but I know the truth.

I’ve been hiding from The Horde ever since, existing under their radar, surviving.

And then one day, they find me…he finds me. Aeson Noctis, the king’s second son and my new captor.

Aeson thinks he can force me back to Paragon City. He thinks he can use me and claim my power for his own.

But the dragons should’ve been more careful about who they let inside their city. I’m not some weak little pawn. I’m here looking for answers.

I’m here looking for revenge.

When it comes to dragons, there’s no such thing as safe. I know because I am one, and now I’m going to make The Horde pay for what they’ve done.

They thought they killed all the Syphons.

They thought they hunted down every one.

They thought wrong.

My thoughts…

This world was full of dragons, wyverns, and magic wielders. Not only were their dragons, but there were sub-divisions of dragons. Each dragon’s affinity categorized them. So you had burners, thrashers, and other types based on their ability. Ever is a type of dragon that is thought to be extinct. She’s a siphon dragon meaning she can “suck” the ability of other dragons from them. Since someone in the kingdom betrayed them, and slaughtered (what they thought were) all siphons, Ever and the other surviving siphons have been on the run. That is, until Ever finds herself integrated into the Horde of dragons, under the watchful eye of the prince, and commander.

I really enjoyed the world this author created. There were a lot of things going on from the dragons, to the sorcai (magic wielders), and the wyvern. It appears that since the betrayal of dragons that wiped out the siphon race, the Horde has been a bit rocky on their public relations with the other species. So of course, when Ever pops up, it throws their world in chaos as they not only come to terms that she exists, but that there could be others out there. Not to mention, the intel that she gives them on what happened sends them into a frenzy that it wasn’t sorcai or wyvern that attacked their kind, but dragons from within the keep that were trusted. Which always leaves Ever exposed to more danger at every turn as you don’t really know WHO to trust in this situation.

While I did enjoy this story, Ever did get on my nerves. She’s supposed to be 60+ years old, even though she visually looks young. 60 years old…. and yet she’s impulsive, doesn’t think about her actions, and is convinced everyone is playing a game with her when it’s clear they are trying to help her. The things she did and said was more on par with a 13 year old than someone who has been around the block a ton of times already.

This story was really interesting to me and I found myself waiting to for a chance to pick it up and continue reading. However, towards the end, it just lost it’s spark. I was bored, and just ready for it to get to its conclusion, which of course turned out to a big cliffhanger.

Emi has spent her entire life hiding from the creatures that hunt her. The savage earth spirits are determined to kill her before she can become the living host of a goddess, so she stays hidden—until the day she saves the life of one of her hunters.

Shiro isn’t the harmless fox spirit she thought he was. He’s mysterious, cunning, unpredictable…and now hers to command. He’s sworn to pay his debt to her, but he doesn’t know who she is. If he finds out, he’ll kill her.

But she can’t send him away—not yet. Her future isn’t what she thought. The lies surrounding her fate have begun to unravel, and she needs answers before time runs out—answers that lie in the spirit realm. Shiro can take her there…if she dares to trust him.

And only then will she find out how deep the gods’ treachery runs.

My thoughts…

Emi is a kamigakari. Meaning she has been chosen by one of the gods, to become their vessel. She was always led to believe that that meant she and the kami (god) would share the same body. However, after coming across a book that talks about the history and role of the kamigakari, Emi soon realizes that what she’s been lead to believe is not true at all. Instead of sharing a body with a kami, the kami will descend and take over the kamigakari’s body, mind, and soul. Meaning, Emi would cease to exist. Unsure if the book is true or not, she makes a deal with a kitsune yokai to help her find the truth.

I really enjoyed the immersion of Japanese folklore and culture. At times, it did sound a bit like reciting a “guide to Japan”, but I suppose if I didn’t already live in Japan, this information would give the story more history and culture. Regardless, I love that the author included the customs of entering shrine grounds, and the proper prayer protocol. We learn about what it means to be a kamigakari and then also what it TRULY means to be a kamigakari. We are right there is Emi as she learns that unlike popular belief, all yokai are not inherently bad, just like we learn that all kami are not good. There is no such this as good an evil, and when you are dealing with beings with immense power, they view of right and wrong gets a bit skewed.

Another thing to note about this book, are the illustrations inside. There are a few scenes that are translated into a beautiful illustration. Giving you a visual of the characters and the emotion taking place. Are these illustrations necessary? No. Were they my favorite part…. maaaaaybe. I really enjoyed getting to see the characters come to life in these illustrations. I was reading on my Kindle, but I can only imagine the detail on a printed copy.

If you are looking for a young adult fantasy that is heavy in Japanese culture and lore, then this is a must read. As someone who lives in Japan, I really enjoyed seeing the culture represented while also reading a fantasy story about gods, demons, and the mortals stuck in the middle. I look forward to starting the next book in the trilogy.

He lives by a set of rules. She might be his one exception.

I just wanted a distraction, something to take the edge off before facing a wedding I was dreading. So on the flight back to New York, I signed up for a dating app. Harmless enough, right?

Wrong.

Turns out, it wasn’t just any app—it catered to people with very specific tastes. By the time I realized it, I was already on my date.

Tall, confident, and sinfully handsome, Jagger Langston seemed like the full package. The chemistry between us was instant—electric enough to burn the whole city down. Though things took a turn when we figured out I’d misunderstood who should join the app. We laughed it off, said goodbye, and went our separate ways.

Or so I thought.

Until I walked into my new internship Monday morning, ready to put the weekend behind me, and there he was—my boss.

Now I’m caught between the rules he lives by—and the temptation to make him break every single one of them.

My thoughts…

This was a very fun read.

The main character goes on to a dating app to meet a one-night stand. However, she doesn’t quite realize that the app that she downloaded is for people who like a bit of spice, and have a bit of kink. So when she meets the guy at a restaurant and he goes over his “rules”, she soon realizes that she is in way over her head.

So imagine her horror when she shows up for her internship the next business day, a law firm that her stepfather works for, and realizes that the man that she had met the other night is none other than the CEO of the law firm. While they try to keep things professional, lines get blurred pretty quickly given the chemistry between them.

This was a very enjoyable story, but it had some annoying parts. Jagger felt like Sutton deserved better and did all of the stereotypical things our main characters like to do when they feel like they’re not good enough for the other person. Another thing that really bothered me is the fact that this guy is 32 and is seen as an old person. He owns multiple companies, owns this law firm, is super rich, and is Sutton’s stepfather’s boss. It is portrayed over and over again that he is an old geezer to her mid-twenties. The dude is 32, he is not old, he is still young. I don’t know why this bothered me so much, but it really did. I wish that the character was maybe in his forties. Something more believable to make you see the age difference, the experience gap, and just for him to be taken more seriously as this older bigwig millionaire.

All Reia ever wanted was freedom.

Known as a harbinger of bad omens and blamed for Demons eating her family, Reia is shunned by her entire village. When the next offering is due and the monstrous Duskwalker is seen heading their way, her village offers her an impossible choice – be thrown into the prison cells or allow herself to be sacrificed to a faceless monster.

However, he is not what he seems. His skull face and glow eyes are ethereal, and she finds herself unwittingly enchanted by him.

All Orpheus ever wanted was a companion.

Each decade, in exchange for a protection ward from the Demons that terrorise the world, Orpheus takes a human offering to the Veil – the place he lives and the home of Demons. The brief companionship does little to ease his loneliness, and their lives were always, unfortunately, cut short.

He’d thought it was a hopeless endeavour, until he met her. She’s not afraid of him, and his insatiable desire deepens within every moment of her presence.

But will Orpheus be able to convince Reia to stay before she’s lost to him forever?

My thoughts…

I did NOT see this story coming. Based on the cover and synopsis, I wasn’t expecting much for it. I thought it would be a quick, steam filled read, that would be easily forgotten as soon as I finished. Except, I was wrong.

In a world where demons exist, Reia is shunned by her town because she was spared during a demon attack. Clearly, the demon didn’t attack her because she’s in cahoots with them. Surely, she’s tainted and that’s why the demon didn’t want her. Why else would a demon NOT go after an easy prey. So, what do these lovely townsfolk do, they shun her, starve her, practically go out of their way to ensure she dies… except that she doesn’t. So when the protective barrier around their town is in need of being replaced, they offer Reia to the demon who places the protection for their town. He always asks for a willing human to go with him back to the underworld as payment of his services. So, this is the perfect change to get rid of a cursed human while having their town protected. Two birds, one stone.

Due to Orpheus’ appearance and the fact that every decade he requests a human to take… it’s easy to come to the conclusion that he’s not hosting tea parties for the humans at his underworld bungalow, but rather torturing and killing them. However, as Reia follows Orpheus on the journey back to the portal that will take them to the Veil, she realizes that he’s not the monster they all thought him to be. He’s considerate, and seems to be disturbed by her treatment by the other humans. As they travel, and settle into Orpheus’ house, they build a friendship, which of course, as a romance, turns into more.

I really enjoyed all the depth the author put into this story. You understand Reia’s background, and why she is such a fighter. You also understand Orpheus’ pain, confusion, and loneliness. All he’s ever wanted was to not be alone. He just wants a companion to spend his time with and talk to. However, all the humans who “willingly” come with him are terrified of him and either try to kill him, or run away… only to be killed by the creatures/demons of the Veil before he can save them. Human after human has died, and he’s starting to lose hope that he will ever have someone that is happy to stay with him in his home and be his companion.

The thought that the author put into this story was impressive. We not only get Reia and Orpheus, but there’s another duskwalker that comes into the mix. He wants what Orpheus has and asks for help from both Reia and Orpheus on how to obtain such things like a home and a friend like Reia. Having his character pop up really expanded the world for me.

With all this being said, I’m not 100% if I will continue with the series. The next book is about the Duskwalker we meet. However, I feel like Reia’s and Orpheus’ story was so unique, that a remake of it would just taint what I just read. While I want to see the Duskwalker happy, I might just end it with this book.

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.

I’ve spent my life kneeling—to their will and to my father’s. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him—bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?

And what if—for the first time—I reached for it?

My thoughts…

I really appreciated that this story didn’t revolve around some badass heroine who is the “chosen” one. Honestly, I’m kind of sick of those stories. So, I was happy when Odessa isn’t the chosen one, isn’t some trained badass, and isn’t this amazing warrior that comes out of nowhere. Rather, she’s the least favorite daughter of the king. She’s been pushed aside and all but the black sheep of the family. Think of her as the Cinderella. Where her younger sister (Mae) is dressed in colors, attends all the events, and is the daughter destined to marry a prince, Odessa’s wardrobe is all grey, and she is meant to blend in, not be seen or heard. So, on the day that Mae’s prince shows up and declares a Princess Prize, claiming he wants Odessa instead of Mae, all hell breaks loose. Come to find out, Mae has been training from a young age to be a spy and assassin in order to be wed to the neighboring prince and help her father infiltrate their kingdom.

I really enjoyed the world the author created, as well as the character development. I kinda figured out a main piece right at the beginning, but it didn’t ruin the story for me. Especially since the author wrote it so well, that I sometimes second guessed myself. This isn’t simply a story about a girl who is married off to a foreign nation and has to navigate this new world. It’s not even just a fantasy story with monsters. Instead, there are so many intricate pieces to this story that develop as the story progresses, that it was easy to immerse yourself completely into the story and lose track of time.

I was a little apprehensive going in as this is over 600 pages long, and I usually get bored and start getting antsy to read another book. However, this story had so much depth and development that I didn’t want the story to end.

Abbie Keller thought that Richard Bartholemew Benson the Third would be her forever. In their four years of dating, she never doubted that she would end up with his grandmother’s engagement ring on her finger. Sure, she had to change a few things about herself to fit that mold, like dyeing her hair, dressing more conservatively, and finding golf enjoyable (honestly the most difficult of the changes), but she was sure that at the end of it all, it would be worth it.

That is, until he leaves her crying outside her apartment wearing a Halloween costume, having broken it off with her because she’s just not serious enough. She was just fun, he tells her – and now that Richard has becoming a partner at his law firm in his sights, he needs to focus on work.

So she does what every girl does when she’s broken up with: she calls her friends, gets drunk, dyes her hair, and formulates her plan for revenge. It just so happens that the universe supports her efforts and gives her the perfect match to prove to her ex that he made a huge mistake: his boss.

Abbie starts dating the founding partner of Richard’s law firm, Damien Martinez, with one thing in mind: convincing him to invite her to the huge annual Christmas party as his date.

But when the relationship starts to become something more than casual dating and Abbie sees that the tough New York lawyer has a soft side, will she be able to follow through with her plan of deceit?

My thoughts…

Imagine thinking your about to be proposed to, that wedding bells are in your near future, only to be dumped while wearing a bunny costume on Halloween? Well, that’s pretty much what happened to Abbie. After invest 4 years to the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with, he dumps her… and he’s not nice about it. She’s spent this entire time changing who she is and molding herself into what HIS perfect match would be, so that she could make him happy. So, when that all blows up in her face, she’s not only sad, she’s pissed. She downloads a dating app and is ready to find someone to take her mind off of it all. And while the old saying goes “the quickest way to get over someone is to get under someone else,” Abbie takes it one step farther. She matches with her ex’s boss, and decides to start dating him. What better way to stick it to her ex, than to show up at the Christmas work party, on the arm of his boss, whom he hates.

This story was a mix of sweet and spice. I loved the way that Damien was so supportive of Abbie. He’s the founding partner to a law firm, and she works at a makeup counter at a department store. She’s gotten used to people looking down on her job. However, Damien refuses to allow her to put herself down in any capacity, and shows her how much her work means, by bringing a domestic abuse victim in for a makeover before she had to go into court and testify against her abuser. In that small action he’s able to help two women by giving his client the confidence she needs, and showing Abbie just how much her work helps people. He was constantly pulling her out of that dark place of doubt, and showing her just how great she is as she is. With that being said, when they were behind closed doors, he cranked the dial up on the spice and took charge.

Honestly, my favorite part was just seeing Abbie untangle herself from 4 years of emotional abuse. So many people think domestic abuse is only on the outside, but it’s so much more than that. I really appreciated that the author didn’t gloss over that and focus solely on the romance. She spent that time unraveling everything and we were there to watch Abbie come back to herself.

This may be my first time reading this author’s work, but this will not be the last. If all of her books are this deep, but fun, then she may just earn herself a spot as one of my must read authors!

When overworked department store manager Izzy Russo downloads an AI boyfriend app to fill the emotional void left by her inattentive real one, she thinks she’s just venting to a harmless chatbot named “Caleb.” In reality, she’s been pouring her deepest, dirtiest fantasies into the ears of Callahan Knight—her store’s brooding new head of security.

Because Cal? He’s been listening. The moment he saw Izzy, he knew she was his. Did he hack her phone? Absolutely. But who could blame him? A woman like Izzy deserves to be cherished by someone who truly knows her worth—and he’ll do anything to be that man.

So when Izzy finally sees her boyfriend for who he really is, and the danger she’s unknowingly been caught up in, Cal is ready to protect her, no matter the cost. Even if it means revealing the truth.

She might not have meant to build the perfect man. But he’s here now. And he’s never letting her go.

My thoughts…

This was so interestingly written that it was hard NOT to like Cal. Even though you know that he immediately hacks into her phone and for all intents and purposes, stalks her. He finds out that she just installed a simulator boyfriend app, and decides to override the system so that her interactions go to HIS phone and not to the app. So that he can pretend to be the AI she’s talking to. Now, that could have just been it, but, oh no. He continues to put cameras up at her house, AND listens into her private conversations both via cameras AND her cellphone itself. He tracks her whereabouts at every turn, and is ALWAYS away of where she is, and who she is with.

So, that should raise every single red flag there is to known to mankind. However, aside from it being an insane breach on her privacy, he’s weirdly protective of her and seeks to build up her confidence… not just creep on her. He uses the app as a way to better understand her and her struggles, and helps her find self confidence and strength while pretending to be an AI boyfriend. So, he’s there for her mentally and helping her grow as a person. Then, he’s there in person to better protect her from any threats to her person. So, the fact that he used this stalking as a way to give her the tools to be more secure and strong mentally, really gave his stalking a twist.

I will be honest, I thought this would be a creepy stalker romance that would have me side-eyeing the guy the entire time… but something about this just worked. Now, I’m not condoning what he did because we can all agree that it was wrong. But the fact that I have a “but” is indicative to the author’s writing ability to make someone who is supposed to turn you off, and make you see them as something more. Or, maybe I’m just messed up in the head and need to see a shrink… that could be it, too.

If you’re looking for a romance that has a morally grey character, a lot of steamy texting, and a romance that will have you both weirded out and intrigued at the same time, then give this book a read.