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The Ragpicker King: Book 2: Chronicles of Castellane: Cassandra Clare*UNSIGNED* In the epic follow up to the New York Times bestseller Sword Catcher, praised by George R. R. Martin as everything I look for in fantasy, Lin and Kel must chart a perilous course between love and lies. Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palaceand the only
*UNSIGNED*
In the epic follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Sword Catcher, praised by George R. R. Martin as “everything I look for in fantasy,” Lin and Kel must chart a perilous course between love and lies.
Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.
Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.
Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.
As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.
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4.4 ★★★★★
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
Amazing!
Format: Kindle, Format: Kindle
This book was phenomenal, I devoured it within a few days! For this being a debut novel, it is fantastic and I would’ve thought the author was a seasoned author. I have zero complaints about this book.
Let me start by saying that the world building was phenomenal. I could picture everything in my head because of how detailed it was — that’s how good it was written. And I absolutely love the “captive/captor” trope so much, it’s become one of my favorite tropes, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that this book had that.
I loved the banter between Rogue and Ara — they’re both snarky and witty, plus with the romantic tension, it made the dialogue that much better. Speaking of romantic tension, yes there is spice but not so much of it that it overrides the plot, which I loved. For me, this would probably be on the 3/5 level of spice.
This book had a ton of plot twists and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2024
★★★★★ 4
High on Tropes and Satisfaction
Format: Kindle
This is a great Romantasy book full of action, adventure, and everything you look for in this genre.
I won’t lie: it does kinda feel like the author found every common trope from every successful book of this kind and threw them all into this novel. But if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Especially in romance, there’s a large audience who has specific expectations, and they want them every time. Nothing wrong with that and many times I’m one of them.
I have no idea what defines a spoiler honestly, so
spoiler alert!!!!!!!
Tropes include:
Only one bed at the inn/bar
Dissatisfaction with life before hunk appears
Lost royalty
The chosen one
Montage of dress up time followed by shocked hunk
Forbidden romance between two from rival peoples
Power that cannot be controlled, simply guided/asked
Gathering intel at the inn/bar
FMC who knows how to fight/use weapons well
There’s probably more but no need to list them all.
Good story and I would recommend!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2024
★★★★★ 5
AMAZING debut novel!!!
Format: Kindle
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️.5
Romance 💘💘💘
Vibes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dual 1st person POV - Ara (26) & Rogue (39 - but looks mid-20s: they can live hundreds of years so this isn't that large of a gap as it could've been which I heavily appreciate lol)
Tropes: enemies to lovers, fae/human wars (deep hatred for each other), shifters (dragons- MMC can only partial shift with wings), one horse, one bed, touch her and d!e, found family, abduction turned to freedom
The Last Storm is the debut novel from JD Linton and let me tell you, you guys NEED to read this. The plot was engaging and the editing was was amazing (especially for a debut novel). Our FMC, Ara, is stuck in her gilded cage longing for a life outside of her small town. She uses her books to escape and live vicariously through the pages (honestly, relatable). After her father announces her betrothal to her childhood friend (to whom she has no romantic feelings for), Ara tumbles unknowingly into a desperate plot trying to stop the humans from slaughtering the Fae.
As one can expect from an enemies to lovers / kidnapper/captive romance, Ara fights her attraction and lust towards our MMC, Rogue (the King of the Fae), for as long as she can. Upon seeing Ara for the first time, Rogue is instantly aware that she is his fated mate (not a spoiler). Since she is the General's only daughter, he plans to abduct her and use her as leverage to stop the brutality. During Ara's time in Rogue's captivity, their banter and chemistry continue to rise until they finally boil over and come together (quite literally, and many times I may add 😉).
Here's what I LOVED:
- Rogue continuously seeks advice from his elders and deeply respects their opinions and life experience and tries to implement their recommendations
- Rogue makes many mistakes in the beginning but we see him actively work on not repeating them as the book progresses. The level of self-awareness and his ability to change his behavior was impressive
- The magic system is intricate and we have only scraped the surface. As the series continues and Ara progresses in her powers, I'm sure we'll get to see more of this. I absolutely LOVE the messaging system that is used in this book.
- Ara's struggles are so human and so raw. She is experiencing so much guilt and pain and hurt and getting to see her work through each of these emotions is inspiring. Especially as her and Rogue get closer and she learns she can lean on him as well, that she is not alone.
- While this is the start of a series, there is NO cliffhanger! There's a bit of a teaser of something major that is going to happen at the start of the next book, but it's not a cliffhanger in the sense that we aren't sure if someone is going to live or d!e or if they'll be separated. For that, I am very thankful! This book was so much fun that I will definitely be returning to book 2, even if it takes several months (or longer since this is an debut author) to publish!
- Lastly, the cover is GORGEOUS! And I love the title!
I'll copy a few of my favorite quotes below so you can have a little taste of the author's writing and the world she's cultivated. 😊
Top Highlights from The Last Storm
On days like this, when my heart was heavy and my mind clouded, I resorted to books— to escape, to forget, to find freedom where I had none.
If I were to marry him, my face would always be turned to the window, searching for more, and if not that, I would be a shell of the person I am now.
I stepped back to admire her, thr0bbing at the sight. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. To ever exist. Nothing, no one, had ever deserved to be worshiped more. All men should be made to kneel before her. But she would have to settle for me.
The taste of her met my t0ngue as my scent merged with hers, forever branding her. Mine. I l!cked the wound. Hers. Completely and utterly hers.
I didn’t claim her in ownership. I claimed her as my one. Devoted myself to one. With that mark, my body and soul were bound to her. I would never be with anyone else, emotionally or physically. It would be her or no one, until my last breath.
“Scream my name. Let everyone know who I belong to.”
I had never really cared about the weather before, but now, clear skies meant everything to me, and I was grateful to see another calm morning.
“There will never be another woman for me.” He paused. “Ever.” I stilled at his words. “What… Why?” “This”— his thumb slid down across the mark—“ is a symbol of… surrender. I know you believe that it was my claim upon you, but it wasn’t. It never was. I bound my body and soul to you, little storm.”
“I also know that it is more than this tiny, insignificant mark on your skin that binds me to you. It’s you. All of you. Your strength and resilience. Your determination to endure no matter what fate throws at you. Your love for love and stories and hope. You are entirely the opposite of everything that I am and I would gladly wear your shackles if it meant I could have you.”
My mate. Mine. And then everything shifted and I understood. I understood everything. The surrender. The deep, soul-craving longing. Bound. I was bound to him. Body and soul. Entirely his. “I would’ve waited forever,” he whispered back, understanding.
Seriously, everyone.. add this to your TBR!!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2022
★★★★★ 4
A Decent Fae Romance
Format: Kindle
** 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 **
First off I want to say that I found the author, J. D. Linton, on TikTok right before the release of the sequel. I bought the first 2 books to support her release, so congrats to her for the release of the sequel!
Overall, I liked the story & plot, I liked the characters, and I liked the spice. The downfalls: not enough development between the characters for the romance, and it leaned a little heavy into the tropes. A lot of stuff is told to you, which could have been used as devices to drive the plot and emotions of the characters.
🛑🛑 Mild Spoilers ahead, I tried to hide the obvious ones 🛑🛑
This is very obviously a fated mates, which is a trope I usually really enjoy. But I wish the relationship between Ara & Rogue had much more development before it's realized that they're mates, instead of Rogue knowing almost immediately and using it for nefarious purposes (at least in the beginning before they get to know each other). By revealing this within the first quarter of the book, I feel like it leaves less room for them to fall for each other organically (albeit with help from the mating bond) and they love each other because of the mating bond. I was disappointed as soon as Rogue know (literally only 5% in) and I literally made a note: "As much as II love a good mating trope, I wish we had to work for it a little more. Where's the fun in just telling us?" I believe that by holding out and feeding the reader snippets of a potential bond, it would've been more rewarding as a reader.
I also wish there was more world building - we are told of a war between human & fae but don't get to really experience any of it. Ara is sheltered in her human home, then sheltered in Rogue's castle. There's bits and pieces about what the war has done on either side - but we're more told of the aftermath and don't really experience any of it. Ara's father is supposed to be the king's #1 general - yet he is at home with his family & with Ara for the first couple chapters. Her, her family, nor her village seem to be affected by the 10 year war going on on their borders. I wish there was a little more setup to make this conflict - an actual war - feel more than a skirmish between fighting territories.
Linton could also be a little repetitive - with the biggest culprit being when Ara is upset she "brings [her] knees to [her] chest]" and either sits like that or cries. Every time she is upset this phrase is mentioned. I would get it if this was her crutch, or how she copes with grief and stress, but that should be explained why she does it so often or it becomes repetitive. I started to get annoyed with how often she would sit like this solely because it happens every couple chapters.
However, I did really like the spice. I love an enemies to lovers trope, especially when it results in spicy scenes. The spicy scenes weren't anything new, but they were fun. Wish there were more but that could also just be me - there is no such thing as too much spice 😂
Would I read again? Probably not, I'm super picky with rereads. Although I did genuinely enjoy my first read through!
Will I continue the series? Probably, at least for the sequel. As for #3, kind of depends on where I am with my TBR once that is released
All in all an enjoyable, fast paced read
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Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2024
★★★★★ 3
I love indie authors
Format: Kindle
Let me preface this by saying—writing a book is HARD! Coming up with characters so real that they take on a life of their own, building an entire world, the political/magic system. Designing all of this is no easy feat.
That being said.
This book had so. Much. Potential. I was so excited to read this book, and I plan to finish it for the sake of finishing it. But. At this point, I would have set I’d aside as a DNF. The book could have benefited from some form of a developmental editor, or an in depth beta reader. I will say this. Within 5 chapters, there are so many… phrases that I’ve highlight that I’ve latched onto. Phrases about books and storms that were written BEAUTIFULLY! So, bravo Linton for hitting the nail on the head as to why readers disappear like they do!
However, 5 chapters in and I can already guess where a majority of the story is going. But that’s also because I read like a mad-woman and have read this particular type of story, many different ways. Enemies to lovers where the FMC isn’t who she thinks she is. I am all about supporting indie authors. BUT. I also feel like criticism should be constructive, and not degrading. So if I could give this book a 4 1/2, strictly because I know the work the author put into this, I would. So if you’re looking for an easy read with characters that aren’t hard to follow, look no further! They are easy to love and easy to care for. One of the biggest issues they lacked, to me, was depth and plausible reactions to their situations. JD, you have done BEAUTIFULLY writing this book. I applaud and will continue to buy your books in the future. My BIGGEST recommendation is to definitely hire some form of an editor for any upcoming books. Or in turn, I will be happy to beta read for you. Should my opinion change of the book by the time I finish, I will happily get on here and say I was wrong, delete this review and post a different one. Until then…
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Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2022
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