Blood Jade & Apprentice to the Villain

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Blood Jade by Julia Vee, Ken Bebelle
Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Series: The Phoenix Hoard #2
Published by Macmillan Audio, Tor Books on July 16, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure
Length: 14 hours 23 minutes
Pages: 448
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Author, Publisher
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The follow-up to Ebony Gate, the critically acclaimed debut of Vee and Bebelle's Phoenix Hoard series.

IT TAKES A KILLER TO CATCH A KILLER

Emiko Soong, newly minted Sentinel of San Francisco, just can't catch a break. Just after she becomes the guardian for a sentient city, a murder strikes close to home. Called by the city and one of the most powerful clans to investigate, she traces the killer whose scent signature bears a haunting similarity to her mother’s talent.

The trail will lead her back to Tokyo where the thread she pulls threatens to unravel her whole world and bring dark family secrets to light.

Meanwhile, the General rises in the East and Emiko must fight the hidden enemies of his growing army who are amped up on Blood Jade, while keeping her promises to her brother Tatsuya as he prepares for his tourney.

Her duties as Sentinel and her loyalties collide when she must choose between hiding her deepest shame or stopping the General’s relentless march.

Phoenix Hoard
#1 Ebony Gate
#2 Blood Jade

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

This was fantastic! I was a fan of the first book in this series but I have to say that I liked this book even more. I was thrilled that the book opened with a summary of the first book which really helped me get my mind back into this world that Emiko lives in. Once I started reading this one, I didn’t want to stop because I just had to know how things would work out in the end.

Emiko Soong now serves as the Sentinel of San Francisco, which is a huge responsibility. A murder investigation takes her to Tokyo where her family resides. I feel like we really get to know Emiko in this installment and I grew to like her more and more as the story unfolded. Emiko’s brother, Tatsuya, is about to enter his tourney which is very important to the clan. The story was very exciting with plenty of action woven throughout.

Natalie Naudus does an excellent job with the narration of this book. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators because she does such a good job of bringing stories to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and appreciate the various voices that she used to represent the characters in this story. I do believe that her performance heightened my enjoyment of this book.

I would recommend this series to others. This is the second book in the Phoenix Hoard series which I do recommend reading in order. This installment was an excellent read that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I can’t wait to read more of this incredible series.

I received a review copy of this book from Tor Books and Macmillan Audio.

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Series: Assistant to the Villain #2
Published by Red Tower Books on August 6, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Humorous
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
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"An engaging love story about finding strength in vulnerability." ―Kirkus Reviews

NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism of late. Please resume your former dark, ominous terrors at your earliest convenience. —Mgmt

Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat...er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs—Kingsley’s included—point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies...including their nemesis, the king.

Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so...so...delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?

The Assistant and the Villain series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Assistant to the Villain
Book #2 Apprentice to the Villain

This was fun! Few books could motivate me to head to the store on the publication date to pick up a copy and this was one of those books. It took me a while to get through the book but I think that has more to do with my life than the story within these pages. I had a great time going on this journey with Evie, the Villain, and the rest of the gang.

Rennedawn appears to be in trouble and Evie, the Villain, and their friends are determined to protect the kingdom. We learn more about Evie’s past and get to know her family better in this installment. The characters in this story are so full of life and it is always great to see them work together to meet a common goal. Evie and the Villain have fantastic chemistry and oh, how I wish they would act on it!

I would definitely recommend this book to others. The humor worked into this story is incredibly well-done which was a big plus for me. I enjoyed watching Evie and the Villain work together to save their friends and their kingdoms and can’t wait to tackle more of their adventures in the future.

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