Hi everyone! I am back sooner than I thought and have yet another fantasy book review for you all. I am on a bit of a fantasy kick right now so expect more fantasy novels sooner than later. Before I begin this review, I just want to say thank you all for your continued support. I genuinely appreciate you taking time out of your day to read my reviews. Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about The Bone Shard Daughter.

Content Warning: Violence, Gore, Disturbing Imagery

For decades, the Emperor has ruled with an iron fist over the Phoenix Empire. He mastered bone shard magic and used that to create constructs, animalistic beings who exercise power and terrorize the people. Lin, the Emperor’s daughter, is determined to uncover her father’s secrets and dismantle his reign. She does so by learning to master bone shard magic. To destroy her father, Lin will come face to face with a secret that will change her life forever. But it is the price she must pay to prove her worth.

I was initially on the fence about whether or not I liked this novel. The world-building is interesting and I liked how unique the magic system was. Though I only mention one character in my plot summary, there are two other characters who we follow throughout the book. It wasn’t until the last 100 or so pages that I was sold on this book. I was rather impressed with the plot twists and love when a fantasy novel builds up to a war. Because of that, I am going to recommend this book and I will definitely make it a point to read the rest of the series.

Hey everyone! Happy fall to all of you! I am so ready for the cozy and cool weather. I am also prepared to read some horror books for October. I still have other ones to work through, so I will be posting about those sooner than later. Before you read this review, though, check out my review for the first book in this trilogy, Angels Before Man. It’s time to talk about the sequel, Angels and Man.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Disturbing Imagery, Strong Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Traumatic Childbirth, Miscarriage, Animal Death, Sexual Assault, Religious Trauma, Domestic Abuse, War, Depictions of Misogyny and Sexism, Depictions of Homophobia

Heaven hasn’t been the same since the war. The remaining angels are suspicious of each other and have started lashing out. Azazel is lonely and miserable, having been labeled a sinner by his brothers. Samyaza, however, is perfectly fine with how Heaven has changed. He does, however, believe that the humans can be forgiven. Samyaza, Azazel, and the Watcher angels are sent to Earth to teach humans about God’s love. Soon, they find themselves fascinated with human life and become entangled with the tribes. There is a greater threat against the humans. Satan and his demons begin to destroy the local villages. War soon erupts and the Watcher angels must choose between their brothers or their new lives.

Angels and Man was much more intense and fast-paced than its predecessor. While the first book was a re-telling of Lucifer’s fall, this book is a re-telling of The Great Flood. You don’t have to be overly familiar with Biblical lore to appreciate what Rafael Nicolas accomplishes with this book. It was far more gritty and disturbing, with plenty of stomach-churning scenes of violence. I like how Nicolas challenges the preconceived notions of angels and demons as they are depicted in the Bible. They don’t hold back on the gruesome details, but there is sympathy through the characters throughout the narrative. It is a complicated re-telling, but that is done so intentionally. I especially love the prose in this book. Rafael Nicolas has plenty of gorgeous lines peppered throughout the novel. Overall, Angels and Man is a worthy follow-up to Angels Before Man and I will definitely keep my eye out for the third book in the trilogy.