Romantasy – World of Bai

Book Review: “We Who Will Die” By Stacia Stark

This is a new release as of late 2025 that I heard phenomenal reviews for non stop so I was beyond excited to start the book. I even purchased myself a special edition copy which was also signed. I had no doubts that I would enjoy this book but man oh man do I have regrets.

“One of my worst realizations was how many people will—without a second thought—trade other people’s freedoms for their own minor comforts.”
Stacia Stark, We Who Will Die

About The Book

Author: Stacia Stark

Publisher: Avon Books

Published Date: December 30th, 2025

Page Count: 423 Pages

Main Genre: Romantasy

GoodReads Rating: 4.08

Format: E-Book

“It takes strength to mourn. It’s . . . it’s easier to wrap yourself in numb apathy and refuse to think of the people you’ve lost”
Stacia Stark, We Who Will Die

Synopsis

Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.

She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.

With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.

To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…

Synopsis From Goodreads

Rating

“Loving an addict is like being an addict yourself. Only you’re addicted to hope. You constantly tell yourself that this time will be different. Things will get better. And always”
Stacia Stark, We Who Will Die

Review

I had very high hopes for this book. I had only heard great things regarding it but in all honesty I am so disappointed now that I have finished reading it.

The book started off strong, so strong that I went and bought a special edition copy which was signed. I should have waited to drop all that money till I had finished the book. Regrets were made.

As the book went on the plot lines got blurred. At times the main plot line got lost by the sub plots. Even the ending didn’t really satisfy any of the plot lines we were given.

The main character was annoying.. I’m honestly tired of reading books where our main FMC is supposed to be some big baddie just to find out she’s weak and can’t do anything unless it’s out of pure luck or someone swooping in to save them.

The main MMC was boring which I understand why as I see where book twos plot lines for the romance is headed but honestly we didn’t need the second chance romance plot lines as it didn’t feel important to the plot. Just let them be best friends. It would have been a much more enjoyable book this way.

I wish that we had gotten a whole book before this one where we got to see her grow up with her best friend so we could actually care for all these past history plot lines and even to help us not only understand the world a bit better but also the magic system and her relationships. I really do hope a prequel is in the works as I feel like it is really needed.

I honestly struggled keeping up with all the characters. At times someone would get mentioned in detail and I am like “How the heck did she even know this person?” I feel like important details got missed or glance over. The world was also really hard to picture in my head. Again the details just weren’t vivid. The magic system was lacking. I get that we have three types of people but I didn’t understand their powers as well as I feel like we should have.

This book felt extremely repetitive to the point where paragraphs would get repeated as a memory shortly after we just read them. It made me feel like the author just assumed we would not be smart enough to put things together without things being repeated. But to be honest the things that I wouldn’t have minded being addressed again felt like they were just skimmed over. The writing just left me extremely frustrated.

Ok so what did I like? I love Rorrik and their “relationship”. I liked her brothers plot line a lot. I also enjoyed the few friendships she created along the way. But so many things got in the way that it was hard to remember why I was enjoying the book. I just wanted to scream at our main FMC to get a grip.

The ending did make me interested in reading the second book but IDK if I can get myself to go through this again unless the author really changes the writing style. I need paragraphs to feel cohesive and things to not repeat nearly as often.

“That’s the thing about rights—you don’t realize you’ve taken them for granted until one day, you wake up, and they’re no longer a right. They’re a privilege reserved for other people.”
Stacia Stark, We Who Will Die

QOTD: If you read this book please let me know what your thoughts were. I need to discuss this.

Book Review: “The Rose Bargain” By Sasha Peyton Smith

I have owned this book since the day it was first released. I have been wanting to read it since I laid my hands on the beautiful cover but kept putting it off as I didn’t want this five star prediction to let me down. I am glad I waited as I think I picked this book up at the perfect time. I had just finished reading book six of the Bridgerton series and got fully caught up on season four of the TV Adaptation. I even went to a Bridgerton styled event on a local book store. So picking up this book and falling right back into the Regency Era felt like coming home but with a twist.

“Sometimes I feel like one day every other girl was given instructions on how to grow up, and I missed the lesson.”
Sasha Peyton Smith, The Rose Bargain

About The Book

Author: Sasha Peyton Smith

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published Date: February 4th, 2025

Page Count: 389 Pages

Main Genre: Romantasy

GoodReads Rating: 3.94

Format: Physical Book

Synopsis

London, 1848—For four hundred years, England has been under the control of an immortal fae queen who tricked her way onto the throne. To maintain an illusion of benevolence, Queen Mor grants each of her subjects one opportunity to bargain for their deepest desire.

As Ivy Benton prepares to make her debut, she knows that not even a deal with the queen could fix what has gone wrong: Her family’s social standing is in shambles, her sister is a shadow of her former self, and Ivy’s marriage prospects are nonexistent. So when the queen announces a competition for Prince Bram’s hand, Ivy is the first to sign her name in blood. What a bargain can’t fix, a crown certainly could.

Ivy soon finds herself a surprising front-runner—with the help of an unexpected ally: Prince Bram’s brother, the rakish Prince Emmett, who promises to help Ivy win his brother’s heart…for a price. But as the season sweeps Ivy away, with glittering balls veiling the queen’s increasingly vicious trials, Ivy realizes there’s more at stake than just a wedding. Because all faerie bargains come with a cost, and Ivy may have discovered hers too late.

Synopsis From GoodReads

“But I know now, the thing about love is that you don’t realize you’re in it until it’s too late.”
Sasha Peyton Smith, The Rose Bargain

Rating

Review

I picked this book up during a busy time in my life and that is what I regret the most. I could not stop thinking about this book, I was trying to sneak a chapter in where ever I could. It even got to the point where the characters started to sneak themselves into my dreams. That is how I know I am truly obsessed with a book.

I believe that if I had more free time on my hands I would have finished this book in one sitting. The writing had every ounce of my brain power turning over the plot and trying to figure out any hidden secrets that might have been seeping through the pages.

The characters in this book were a little hit or miss for me at the beginning but I started to appreciate them more as we got to know their background a bit more. The way Sasha formatted this book, sprinkling in different POV’s as we went along, really helped this story build a plot with a lot of depth.

The different POV’s gave us as readers insights into the book that we would have never of gotten from our main FMC. I am not saying Ivy was an unreliable narrator but she truly did not have all the insight into what was happening around her and why. So the little added tidbits we got from the other girls POV’s really helped our characters grow in my eyes.

My favorite character is Emmett, I mean come on, when is the MMC not my favorite character in a book? Emmett has a tough exterior and a reputation that precedes him but there is more to him than meets the eye. I adored getting to see him from Ivy’s eyes as she was forced to be in his proximity but you could feel his attitude changing as we moved through the story. Even though we see him mostly through Ivy’s eyes the little tidbits from Faiths storyline that we were given gave us enough information about Emmet’s true character to know when he started to fall for Ivy. A man who falls first will always make me melt.

The family dynamics seemed to play a pretty big part in this story. Each person had a different relationship with their families that shaped their individual characters and their motivations. I think this is a big reason why I ended up caring for each character in their own way. Everyone seemed to be facing their own battles internally so by the time you finally read first hand what issues they were facing you could grasp why they were saying and doing the things they did. I really appreciated that part of the story telling as it really felt integral to the plot and didn’t just get swept aside like they so often do in these kinds of books.

Sasha really had me trying to guess how this story was going to go, it felt like she was leaving me little bread crumbs that had me thinking one thing but then by the next chapter I was second guessing everything I had came up with. There were a few plot points that I caught onto pretty quick while others left my mouth gaping. I am so glad I waited to read this book until closer to the release date of the second book as I am not sure I can wait to find out what happens.

“I’ve spent my whole life on my hands and knees, clamoring for crumbs of love. I don’t know if there will ever come a time I am not hungry for it.”
Sasha Peyton Smith, The Rose Bargain

QOTD: Do you like Regency Romances?

Book Review: “Glow Of The Everflame” By Penn Cole

Immediately after finishing the first book in this series I dove right into the second. The cliff hanger at the end of book one might have been predictable but it did its job well as I am very intrigued as to what happens inside those palace walls.

“Perhaps, for the right person, we endure the pain, because the torture of never having them at all is the more unbearable fate.”
Penn Cole, Glow of the Everflame

“Spark Of The Everflame” Full Review

*Possible spoilers ahead*

About The Book

Author: Penn Cole

Publisher: Atria Books

Published Date: July 18th, 2023

Page Count: 610 Pages

Main Genre: Romantasy

GoodReads Rating: 4.34

Format: E-Book

“It’s a reminder that no challenge can destroy the parts of us that truly matter. We’re not reborn in the flames. We’re revealed.”
Penn Cole, Glow of the Everflame

Synopsis

An unexpected gift offers the power to change everything. Keeping it could cost Diem her life.

The threat of war has arrived at Diem’s doorstep, along with a new discovery that could save her people. To use it, she must survive the next thirty days by forming a devil’s bargain with the people she hates the royal family of House Corbois.

But as she dives into the world of the Descended elite, Diem quickly realizes good and evil aren’t as simple as they seem. Old prejudices are challenged, and new loyalties blur the line between friend and foe.

Meanwhile, her mother is still missing, and the secrets she left behind can no longer be ignored—and neither can the Guardians and their demands. Caught between an old flame and a sizzling new spark, Diem must confront the truth about who she is and what she wants before time runs out.

War is coming, and dangerous enemies wait on all sides.. but the most deadly battle Diem faces may be the one for her heart.

Synopsis From GoodReads

“Burn, my Queen. Glow so bright, the darkness trembles.”
Penn Cole, Glow of the Everflame

Rating

Review

I had a false hope that wearing the crown would force Diem to make better choices. She claims her choices are for the betterment of all but girl your emotions are going to get everyone killed.

This book started to feel more YA than Adult and I think that is the main reason why this got a lower rating than the first book. I just really expected more from Diem now that she became queen but maybe that wasn’t fair of me to expect.

While the World building and politics were amazing and kept me interested in the book The character growth was still not up to my standards, at least not for Diem. If any of our characters had strong developmental growth it would have to be Teller. Teller really stepped into his role towards the end of this book and I appreciated getting to interact with him more.

Every decision Diem was making I was saying “ohhhh Girl, no.” I just really need her to step up and make some decent choices for once and not just giving in or giving up. She really needed to practice her magic but was acting like a baby whenever she did. Going into the challenging felt useless to me cause she clearly can’t use her powers. I truly believe the only way she could destroy her opponent is because of the goddess herself. I just needed more from Diem herself and not just pure luck from being “The Chosen One.”

The ending of this book really pissed me off as well because I completely saw every step of it coming. Diem is her own worse enemy which bleeds into basically sabotaging the whole world.

My only wish is that we see more of her and Luther and less of them fighting. If she self sabotages this relationship anymore I might freak out. He literally tells her the most romantic and cute things and she just doesn’t let herself see his intentions, its annoying! Please no more Henri, nothing about that relationship is interesting.

“That if a man made you doubt whether his love for you would survive anything, he does not deserve you.”
Penn Cole, Glow of the Everflame

QOTD: At what point do you start to DNF?

Book Review: “Spark Of The Everflame” By Penn Cole

I remember seeing these books pop up all over the book spaces early in 2025 and deciding I would not be falling for the hype. Well this was the official last book I read in 2025 and I am not upset about it, but was the hype really worth it?

“If you cannot be stronger, be smarter. Choose both your battles and your enemies with care. Know when to flee a fight to win a war.”
Penn Cole, Spark of the Everflame

About The Book

Author: Penn Cole

Publisher: Atria Books

Published Date: June 1st, 2023

Page Count: 438 Pages

Main Genre: Romantasy

GoodReads Rating: 4.17

Format: EBook

“You think I fear my own death?” he whispered in my ear. “Every day I draw breath is as much a curse as a gift. I’ve been living on borrowed time for longer than you can imagine. If you’re the way my fate finally catches up to me, I can’t fathom a more beautiful end.”
Penn Cole, Spark of the Everflame

Synopsis

In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

Synopsis From GoodReads

“Hope without reason is… it’s cruel.”
Penn Cole, Spark of the Everflame

Rating

Review

I remember trying the first chapter of this book maybe 8 or so months ago and not immediately connecting with the book and putting it down. I am not really sure why I gravitated to this book as my next read but I am glad that I did.

There is always a part of me that hates to pick up the hyped books as I want a unique experience at times but I always feel the FOMO at some point. What if the hype is truly worth while? I could be missing out on one of my all time favorite books!

With all of that said I did enjoy my time reading this book, for the most part.

The world building was probably my favorite part of this book. The world seems beautiful and complex. The politics of this world seemed to pique my interest and kept me wanting to know more.

The magic system is still a bit hazy to me as we don’t dive too much into that aspect yet in this book but I am interested to learn more for sure.

The part that I struggled with was quite literally just our main character. Diem is honestly so annoying. I am struggling to want to root for her as every decision she makes just makes me angry. And I understand that not all main characters need to be or should be likable but it makes me more invested in the story if they are.

What really saved this book is the side characters. I love Diems family, her brother and father both have interesting side stories that we vaguely hear about that I am dying to know more! Also Luther, our MMC, is swoon worthy! I feel the romantic tension steaming off of him at every turn.

I think this series has a lot of potential! There is so much we don’t yet know about or might only have small snippets of information at our grasp that keeps you coming back to the pages. This book left off on a pretty big cliff hanger, all be it a pretty predictable cliff hanger, that made me immediately download the next book. So despite my hate for Diem I think I will probably finish this series sooner rather than later.

“Don’t choose a mediocre life for a mediocre man. Go be exceptional. If he’s worth it, he won’t judge you. And if he’s really the one, he’ll come along for the ride.”
Penn Cole, Spark of the Everflame

QOTD: If a main character is annoying in your eyes do you DNF a book or push through?

Book Review: “Zodiac Academy: Heartless Sky” By Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

This series is probably a bit longer than I would like haha. I have switched to listening to the audios for the last few books and honestly this has helped me a ton!

This series has me in constant sorrow and heartbreak which honestly sucks but I am so far in that I can’t stop and DNF the series. I truly do need to know how this ends as you can’t go through this much trauma and not know if we have a semblance of a happy ending.

“I call it loving you with the intensity of the sun and the devotion of the moon because you are my end, baby.”
Caroline Peckham, Heartless Sky

About The Book

Author: Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

Publisher: Dark Ink

Published Date: December 18th, 2021

Page Count: 991

Main Genre: Romantasy

GoodReads Rating: 4.20

Format: Audio

“I’ll love you ‘til the world is dust,”
Caroline Peckham, Heartless Sky

Synopsis

The winds of fate are shifting, and it finally seems like they’ve been twisted in our favour.

On the run and cast out from society, we’ve been forced to hide from the mad man who stole our throne. But as more secrets come to light and my sister and I work harder than ever before to reach our potential and claim our birth right, the end is finally drawing closer.

There is no turning from this path now. The curse chases on our heels as time rushes by and the blood drenched destiny of the man I love looms ever closer just like the monster who stole our throne.

We must prepare for the final battle, but three things are clear now.

The cards have already been dealt.

Blood will spill for a new future to rise.

And the stars themselves can’t help us.

The fight for the throne is upon us. All hail the heartless sky.

Synopsis From GoodReads

“I love you, Roxanya Vega,” I said, my voice raw with the truth of that. “No matter what happens with this fate, the war, my father, the throne, all of it pales beside my love for you. And I know I’m not good enough for you but that just makes it all the easier for me to worship you the way you deserve because I won’t ever stop trying to live up to being the man you deserve to have. Not until my dying breath and beyond that too if it’s what you want.”
Caroline Peckham, Heartless Sky

Rating

Vibe Rating

Dynamic Rating

“You snuggle with Darcy and Darius all the time. But where’s my snuggles, Lance? Where’s. My. Snuggles?”
Caroline Peckham, Heartless Sky

Review

*** Spoilers Ahead! ***

This series is honestly a bit too long for my taste. I feel like this book especially had a timeline that was hard to follow. I couldn’t tell how much time was passing or had passed between chapters. It felt like it all moved way to fast and yet way too slow all at the same time. The ending to this book made me cry… I am very upset about Darius dying but his mother’s death hit me even harder I’d say. She was trying to save her new found family and her sons but also refused to go back to her abusive, controlling and overall horrible ex husband… her and her new love killing themselves was so sad yet so powerful! Darcy and Orion getting to their fated mate moment was kind of underwhelming to me… I was excited for it to happen but it wasn’t as touching of a moment as I would have hoped.

Darius and Tory getting married was great! Sad they didn’t get to live any of that marriage together though… Gabriel being taken as Lionel’s seer makes my heart sink.. but hopefully he can sit on that seer throne and get some real shit done! Lionel taking Xavier’s wings breaks my heart! Xavier deserves so much better than what he’s going to wake up too in the next book. Overall the writing kind of sucked but and the book wasn’t perfect… but here I am still invested.

“That when we stood before each other and he saw a queen, I saw a king staring back at me.”
Caroline Peckham, Heartless Sky

“You are meant for the sunlight, Lance Orion. So you’ll stand with me in it or else we’ll stay in the dark together,”
Caroline Peckham, Heartless Sky

Book Review: “Zodiac Academy: The Big A.S.S. Party” By Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

This was a super short story that is told from the perspectives of Max and Geraldine. This is a novella that many people say you can skip if you would like and honestly I totally get it. I am not sure why I took the time to read this one haha.

“If you can’t handle the idea of me meeting other people, maybe even hooking up with them, then we can just call tine on thig thing between us. Because I’m not ever going to put my life on hold for a man. Especially one who doesn’t think I’m good enough to make the cut for the long term”
Caroline Peckham, The Big A.S.S. Party

Other Zodiac Academy Reviews

Origins of an Academy Bully: Book 0.5

The Awakening: Book 1

The Awakening: As Told By The Boys: Book 1.5

Ruthless Fae: Book 2

The Reckoning: Book 3

Shadow Princess: Book 4

Cursed Fates: Book 5

About The Book

Author: Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

Publisher: Independently Published

Published Date: August 2nd, 2020

Page Count: 98 Pages

Main Genre: Romantasy

GoodReads Rating: 3.85

Format: E-book

“Oh, silly boy,” Geraldine said as she looked down at me with wild eyes. “You didn’t think you’d be in charge here, did you?”
Caroline Peckham, The Big A.S.S. Party

Synopsis

Once upon a moon, the wild wind whispered in my ear that the true queens were returning to Solaria and I made it my mission to open up their path to the throne so that they could slip right in like an oily oyster.

Now, on this most special and wonderous of days, the very day of their birth – I will prove myself to be the most loyal and dependable of their followers. Though of course, Venus is in my chart and Lady Petunia has caught sight of the bothersome barracuda once more.

Max Rigel is my most sinful of temptations, the shark in the dark who wishes to lure me to his sea cave and I don’t know if I’m Fae enough to resist him for long.

But one thing is for sure, I will make certain the Vegas get the big A.S.S. party they deserve for their birthday or I’ll die trying. Succulent squids be damned!

This is a 25k novella set in the world of Solaria during Book 5 of the Zodiac Academy series, Cursed Fates, featuring Geraldine and Max as they attend the party of the century and try to resist the lure of the moon as it pushes them together once more. It’s full of slippery salmons and more buttery bagels than you can shake a stick at and is best read after Cursed Fates.

Synopsis From GoodReads

Rating

Vibe Rating

Dynamic Rating

Review

This book expands more into Max and Geraldine’s relationship. We get to see what happened the night of the Eclipse which was fun but pretty much everything after that night was kind of pointless. This Novella really didn’t add or take anything away from the series so if you didn’t feel like reading it that would have been ok!

Geraldine has a good heart but the way she talks is really annoying. It takes me completely out of the story and now you expect me to read those crazy words in the middle of a spicy scene and think “Oh wow, that’s hot!”.. Yeah no thank you!

Geraldine reminds me a bit of a Mormon Girl gone crazy. I grew up in the LDS (Mormon Church) and we would say all sorts of weird things instead of swearing or talking about something deemed “inappropriate”. I just see her and think of a good church girl who has a wild side and honestly I don’t really love that image. I am trying to leave all that behind haha.

I really like Max and I am glad that we could get some more of his POV as we don’t get to read from him often. He is the Heir that is the most in tune to his emotions and is willing to just vibe. I really hope we get to see more of his character in the next few books.

I will root for these two to be together but honestly, lets keep their romance closed door! Thank you!

“Fate is a funny friend and a heartless enemy.”
Caroline Peckham, The Big A.S.S. Party

QOTD: Does the way characters “talk” bother you at points in time?