E is for Elfhame
I’m doing folklore and book review posts to reach and please a larger audience. Previous years have shown select interest in both and to minimise blogging throughout the year, I’m focusing my efforts on April.
Focusing on an A to Z of my TBR (to be read) list, each letter will have books starting with that letter on my list, a book I’ve read and reviewed (with the review!) and one of my books matching the letter with a link about more info about the book.
I chose the books this year quite randomly from my Goodreads Want to Read page. Some are quite creatively added to letters.
If you’d rather check out my folklore post for today, go here.
You can read reviews for from previous years for this letter here and here, and my year-end reviews here, here, here and, most recently, here.
My TBR
About the Book I’ve Read
Elfhame by Anthea Sharp
Deep in the Darkwood, a mystic portal awaits…
Mara Geary faces a bleak future in the village of Little Hazel until, on the eve of her seventeenth birthday, strange glowing lights beckon her into the mysterious shadows under the trees. She follows, hoping for adventure. What she finds is her destiny…
Prince of the Hawthorne Court, Brannon Luthinor has spent his life becoming a powerful warrior in order to save his people. Now, on the eve of war, his fate is rapidly approaching.
Brought together by fate, Bran and Mara forge an unlikely alliance. But in the face of evil, will they be able to trust their lives – and their hearts – to one another?
From USA Today bestselling author Anthea Sharp, a richly-imagined fantasy romance uniting an adventurous young woman and a fearsome Dark Elf warrior, in a magical tale reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. No explicit content.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
An enchanting Beauty and the Beast retelling with monsters, portals between worlds, fae and mortals.
Great worldbuilding, use of prophecy, and characters one likes to spend time with.
Bran and Mara make a great couple, their love story is sweet and keeps one rooting for them until the end.
Can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy.
Trigger warnings: war, death, blood, spider monsters.
About the Book I’ve Read
Hawthorne by Anthea Sharp
In the shadowed land of the Dark Elves, one young woman struggles to master her magic, and trust her heart…
Prince Brannilon Luthinor and his mortal bride, Mara Geary, have returned to the Hawthorne Court, but despite winning the war against the Void, their own personal struggles are just beginning. Fragments of the Void remain in the realm, and Bran must hunt them down, leaving Mara to face the poisonous intrigues of the court. She soon discovers that the fate of Elhame is far more precarious than she first believed. While she grapples with mastering her own magic, and the depth of her feelings for her enigmatic husband, Bran chases down the enemy – but he cannot escape the knowledge that his wife would be better off in her own world, despite the choices she has made.
As treacherous schemes close in around the couple, they must learn to trust the power of their love… before both their worlds are lost forever.
A full-length fantasy romance from USA Today bestseller Anthea Sharp~
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
I liked the idea of the Void being a shard moving through Elfhame, strengthening itself to attack the mortal world.
Court life was a bit tedious, but there was enough danger to keep things moving.
I liked that Mara’s magic, though similar to the magic of the Dark Elves, works differently.
Loads of twists and action. Can’t wait to see what happens to Mara and Bran next.
Trigger warnings: spiders, blood, assassination attempts.
About the Book I’ve Read
Raine by Anthea Sharp
A Dark Elf princess embarks on a perilous adventure to save her world…
In the shadowed land of Elfhame the Hawthorne Throne is in grave peril, and the heir, Prince Brannon Luthinor, is nowhere to be found. He and his human wife have crossed between the worlds in pursuit of the Dark Elves’ ancient enemy. Only one person has the courage to follow: his sister Anneth.
But the mortal world is far more complex than Anneth expected. Desperate to find her brother and his wife, she instead stumbles into danger of her own. Her only hope of protecting those she loves is to give herself up to the enemy, and risk sacrificing everything for the sake of a mortal prince.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
Bran and Mara’s story continues in burst throughout Anneth’s Cinderella-esque story in Raine.
The middle drags a bit, but picks up when Bran and Mara return to Raine and the conflict there.
I liked the appearance of the Oracles and how all issues were resolved by them. And the forest’s magic is awesome!
An interesting end to the trilogy.
About the Book I’ve Read
Heart of the Forest by Anthea Sharp
Prince Kentry of Raine knows that if only he can capture the magical White Hart, the creature will grant his heart’s desire. Entering the depths of the Darkwood, he chases his quarry down… only to become lost in a mystical forest, where he must fight for his life at the side of a moon-haired maiden who may hold the answer to his dreams.
Heart of the Forest is a novella set in the world of the Darkwood – rich with fairy tales, Dark Elves, and the enchanted forest that watches over all. Discover more magic with White as Frost, available in May 2021.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
Great world-building, vivid descriptions and loads of action in this short tale of chasing after a dream only to find a better one.
Quite enjoyable.
My Book
The Irascible Immortals Short Story Series Volume 1-3
Remember that you can request all of my books from your local library!
I hope you enjoyed this. For more books I’ve read and reviewed, check out either my Pinterest board about reviews or my Goodreads profile. Alternatively, you can check out my reviews on BookBub. Have you read any of the books? Loved or hated any of them?
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Excellent reviews. I almost never pick up romantasy on purpose. I’m going to try this one.
Go for it!
Sounds like a fascinating trilogy! Will add it to my own TBR pile. I have a tendency to re read instead of read new stuff, alas!
Before starting this challenge of tackling my TBR, I was guilty of re-reading all the time, too 🙂