Hello book lovers! It’s a new day and perfect for new reviews šāāļøš¤ This is a post with two reviews of the first two books in this series. And it’s an unfinished series.
āļøslow-burn
āļøenemies to lovers
āļødesert setting
āļøelemental magic (desert-based magic system)
āļødual pov
Blood of the Sands by S.C. Grayson
What is it about?
Keera is used to protecting herself from the dangers of the Ballan desert. Guarding her heart may be the most difficult challenge of all.
Keera is an exile struggling to survive, forced to rob passing travelers or face starvation. When she steals from the wrong manāa vicious masked warrior named the Viperāhis hand around her throat awakens an ancient magic within her, and she uses it to escape his clutches. Now, Keera must master her power to protect the city of Kelvadanāthe only place an exile like her can find a homeāfrom the Viper and his growing army.
The Viper serves the magic of the desert, but the sins of the past threaten to destroy it. To protect his home, he will do everything it takes, even marching on the great city of Kelvadan. However, the real key to healing the desertās magic might lie in the infuriating but intriguing exile who slipped through his fingers and now fights for his sworn enemies.
Keera and the Viper are on opposite sides of a war to save the Ballan desert, but the strange bond they share could be the key to saving their homeāor destroying their world as they know it. (Goodreads)
I loved the dual POV because it allowed us to get to know both main characters better. Keera, our FMC, was amazing ā she grew from vulnerable to strong without becoming overly tough or unrelatable, as sometimes happens with female leads. The Viper, our MMC, was just as fantastic. I loved seeing him open up as the story unfolded, showing more of his true self. Their chemistry was on point, and the slow burn? SO GOOD ā exactly how I like it!
To be honest, it took me a bit to really get into the plot and fully understand the magic system, but thatās pretty common with new fantasy worlds. I loved that it felt unique and intriguing, even if some parts were a bit predictable. The story did drag in places, and a few scenes felt unnecessary, but the second half completely made up for it, so it didnāt affect my rating much.
Now Iām even more intrigued to continue this story ā Iām jumping straight into the sequel because I need more of Keera and the Viper!
The next review is about the second book in this series and it might have mild spoilers for book 1 if you haven’t read it yet.
The next review is about the second book in this series and it might have mild spoilers for book 1 if you haven’t read it yet.
Crown of Dunes by S.C. Grayson
After the cliffhanger book one ends with, book two picks up right where we left off. Sadly, though, I didnāt enjoy this one as much as I expected. I really liked book one and was so excited to continue this thrilling story; however, it felt as if very little actually happened in this book, even though itās quite long. There were many, many scenes that felt completely unnecessary, and overall, it dragged a lot. Things did get better in the last 20ā30%, even if half of what happened was fairly predictable. The problem is that most of the main questions we had from book one remain unanswered for at least 70% of the story ā and even by the end, many still are.
As for the romanceā¦ it was rather underwhelming. Erix was the best thing about this book, and I feel the story was so unfair to him ā but especially Keera. I really liked Keera in book one, but in this book, she became so unbearable that I truly struggled with her, especially in the second half. I have a lot to say about this (and itās loaded with spoilers. If you want to read my unhinged ranting, click here).
I still like the setting, the unique magic system, and the characters. But I feel the magic system remains underdeveloped. I understood and accepted that in book one, thinking book two would give us answers ā but we didnāt get any. We still donāt really know how it works or what it does (apparently, it just does everything). The main characters still donāt know how to control it, especially the FMC. It all feels very ambiguous and unstable.
The ending was definitely engaging, and it does make you want to jump right into the next book. But, honestly, Iām not sure if Iāll continue the series ā maybe I will, maybe I wonāt. Itās just that the taste it left in my mouth isnāt the most pleasant one to make me want to.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARCs. All opinions are my own.
love, Lin
