Top Ten Tuesday: Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is Recent Additions to My Book Collection.

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Fire & Night (Warriors & Mages Book 1) by V.K. Dixon

I backed this series on Kickstarter and am so excited to start reading it! 

About the Book

Sometimes, getting what you want means taking a risk . . .

Evylin Glaas longs for adventure.

Trained in swordplay by her veteran uncle and bound by a promise from the past, Evylin dreams of more than what her small village can provide. However, in war-ravaged Ephria, where patriarchal laws dictate her station, leaving isn’t an option—at least, not alone.

Captain Deckard lives to serve.

Deckard has devoted his life to the service of the Ephrian Army, inspired by the legends of old. But instead of fighting for his country, he’s been relegated to recruitment duty. This mission, however, is his chance at redemption—if he can conscript 500 men from the Shires, he might finally make a difference for his nation.

When Deckard arrives in Evylin’s village, she sees an opportunity with this servant-hearted captain. Together, Evylin and Deckard choose to take a risk, entwining their fates in the hope of mutual gain. But as their journey leads them to discover a conspiracy against the throne, they find themselves thrust into an adventure filled with heretical magic, mythical creatures, powerful Relics, and a secret that could change the fate of their kingdom forever.

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Flame Theory by C.F.E. Black

This is another book I backed on Kickstarter. And, again, I'm so excited to read it! 

About the Book

An imposter. A mafia heir. A dragon race that could kill them both. The perfect mashup of Six of Crows and How to Train Your Dragon.

It’s illegal to own a wild dragon. It’s even more illegal to bond with one.

I’ve spent my life scraping by in the city’s underbelly, doing whatever it takes to give my family a better future. So when I’m offered a place at the kingdom’s most prestigious dragon riding academy, I seize the chance—no matter that I’m diving headfirst into dangerous waters. To survive, I have to hide who I am and keep the truth about my dragon buried deep.

But at Cardan Lott College, secrets don’t stay hidden long. Especially not from Rushland Covington—the academy’s golden heir who’s far too clever for his own good. Behind that perfect smile, he’s chasing a forbidden mystery about dragons…and somehow, I’m the key to solving it.

Bound by secrets, we form a reluctant alliance that leads us down a path that will permanently alter our lives and possibly our entire world. Some secrets are meant to be uncovered, and others are meant to stay hidden. But the fire growing between us is the most dangerous truth of all.

If you loved Hiccup and Toothless, but this time you want it set in an elite academy like Maxton Hall where dragon racing is the school sport, then you’re in the right place. The first in an addictive new YA fantasy series, Flame Theory features the start of a no-spice, swoon-worthy romance filled with banter, dragon races, rivalries, and hidden truths.

Welcome to the world of dragon racing.

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An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen

I was hoping to read this before Christmas but didn't have a chance. Oh well, I'm sure it'll be good any time of year! 

About the Book

Spend a festive Christmas in the English village of Ivy Hill, as divine hope, friendship, and unexpected romance work their magic. . . .

Richard Brockwell, the younger son of Ivy Hill's most prominent family, hasn't been home for Christmas in years. He prefers to live in the London townhouse, far away from Brockwell Court, the old family secret that haunts him, and the shadows of his past mistakes. But then his mother threatens to stop funding his carefree life--unless he comes home for Christmas. Out of options, he sets out for Ivy Hill, planning to be back on a coach bound for London and his unencumbered bachelor life as soon as the festivities are over.

But Christmas in the country presents unforeseen surprises, including encounters with an orphaned apprentice, the first love he disappointed years ago, and Arabella Awdry, a young lady who is far more appealing than he recalled . . . and determined to have nothing to do with him.

Will Christmastime in Ivy Hill, with its village charm, kissing boughs, joyous songs, and divine hope, work its magic in his heart . . . and hers as well?

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Scarred (The Lost Sovereigns Book 3) by Anna Hawke

I received an ARC of this book. I just started reading it. I've loved the previous two in the series and am loving this one as well. 

About the Book

An immortal woman masquerading as a human. A powerful man who can’t afford to trust her. A corrupt ruler determined to destroy them both.

Naomi is gifted with a rare power vital to their species’ survival. Hiding among the mortals has allowed her to evade detection from the brutal men who hunt her. A chance encounter draws the attention of Zayn: the ruthless, honorable prime building a rebellion against the oppressors of their world.

Defending his legion from any danger has always been Zayn’s priority, no matter the toll it takes on him. With her real identity a mystery, Naomi’s presence in his territory risks everything. He only knows that she fears the men he’s sworn to defeat. Nothing has prepared him for the battle he must wage to win her heart—and protect her from those who would seek to exploit it.

With the rebellion hanging by a thread and a tyrant tightening his grip, they must decide whether their fated bond can withstand the looming supernatural war—or if it will shatter under the strain.

Author's Note
Scarred is a dual perspective paranormal romance with urban fantasy elements. As part of the Lost Sovereign series, it can be read as a standalone, but we recommend that they be read in order. While the romance within sizzles, this series is fade to black/closed door.

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Two Purloined Pillows (A Nimble Needle Mystery Book 2) by Allie Pleiter

I received an ARC of this book as well. I always enjoy Allie Pleiter's books, so I'm excited to dive in! 

About the Book

When 30-something graphic artist Shelby Phillips reluctantly returned to her small hometown outside Asheville, North Carolina to manage her mother’s needlepoint shop, she thought it was temporary. But getting entangled in murder investigations has a timeline of its own…

It’s been a little over a year since Shelby started managing Nina’s Nimble Needle following her office-romance and career implosion, and Shelby’s mom has finally handed her the reins—technically, at least. Next, Shelby is excited to oversee two well-known needlepoint designers who will be participating in the town’s first two-week-long arts festival . . .

Laura Bitters and Paul Bardo have each stitched up one-of-a-kind pillows that should be big wins for the Nimble Needle at the festival’s auction . . . until the pillows vanish amid a sudden string of shoplifting incidents.

To add to the knot in Shelby’s stomach, Laura proves highly anxious, while Paul is an egomaniac who believes Laura has been stealing his customers for years. But things go from bad to tragic when Laura behaves oddly at the auction dinner, then collapses—dead.

Soon after, Shelby makes a shocking discovery in Laura’s room at the local inn. Then tests reveal that Laura was poisoned. Resolved to piece together the truth, despite the police chief’s determination to keep her on the fringes, Shelby rallies her personal team, including her sister, Jessica, her friend Deb, and Jake, her potentially more than a friend. As an extra twist, a magazine reporter arrives with unsettling—yet useful—dirt that includes Laura and Paul.

What unravels is a skein of suspects, long-held resentment, bitter jealousy, and betrayal, from which Shelby will have to pull the one crucial thread tied to the killer: a murder-worthy motive . . .

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The Star-Blessed by Angie Dickinson

This is another ARC. I was a big fan of Dickinson's debut novel, Truth Cursed, so this has been one of my most anticipated reads!

About the Book

Three legendary origins of power. Two royal bloodlines. One deadly curse.

The kingdom of Stelauris is slowly dying. A season of poison infects the air, earth, and water with increasing deadliness each year, and a deep love of gold and power infects the failing mind of the king. His only daughter and first in line to the throne, Princess Seren, lives in tightly controlled isolation. When she is suddenly thrust into royal society, she struggles to hide the strain of untamed magic awakening in her blood.

Seren’s newly appointed personal guard, Sir Corin, resents the exile of his people. As heir to a long-banished line of succession and the last of the land’s legendary protectors, he holds no loyalty for the current royal family and their history of unhinged cruelty.

As death steals over the kingdom and the schemes at court grow deadlier, the princess and the guard are forced to face their fears, their troubled pasts, and the cost of personal freedom.

The Star-Blessed is a reimagining and reinventing of two fairy tales: “Rumpelstiltskin” and “Cat-Skin” by the Brothers Grimm.

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Atlas (Discarded Heroes: Scions Book 1) by Ronie Kendig

This is another ARC. I'm beyond excited to start this one! I loved the original Discarded Heroes series and love that we get to read about the kids of those characters! 

About the Book

Some hearts are worth fighting for—even when the battle comes home.

Olympic sharpshooter McKenna Neeley thought her biggest challenge was living up to her legendary father's legacy as Nightshade's team sniper. But working as a junior Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, she's about to face her most perilous mission yet—and it has nothing to do with diplomacy.

When a high-stakes dinner party brings Dante Riddell back into her life, McKenna's carefully ordered world tilts off its axis. The brooding security specialist from Omen Tactical Group was her childhood crush, but now he's all grown up—and guarding secrets as closely as he guards his VIP clients.

Despite finally being claimed by his father as a teen, Dante has spent his life believing he isn’t worthy of the Nightshade legacy. When his duty collides with McKenna's consular work sparks fly and keeping their distance becomes impossible. She's everything he remembers and more—brilliant, compassionate, and dangerously distracting. His job is simple: complete the mission and walk away before his damaged heart gets involved.

But when a deadly enemy disrupts peace talks, simple plans shatter like glass.

Trapped together in a web of international intrigue, McKenna and Dante must trust each other—and God’s plan—forging a love that's been years in the making. Because sometimes the greatest battles aren't fought with weapons, but with faith, forgiveness, and the courage to believe in second chances.

Can two wounded hearts find healing in each other's arms, or will the shadows of their past destroy their chance at forever?

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A Bond of Briars by Erin Phillips

This author has been on my want-to-read list for a while, and I'm excited to check out this Biblical retelling!

About the Book

Reader's Choice Award Winner for the 2024 Realm Awards

She is bonded to a spirit who demands her blood.

She serves a mother-in-law who resents her power.

She meets a man who challenges everything she's ever believed.

After a fatal illness takes Caitrin's husband, she finds herself obligated to care for her mother-in-law, Meara, at any cost...even if it means traveling to Croìthe, where magic is outlawed.

Hounded by the suspicious townsfolk and burdened by Meara's bitter grief, Caitrin struggles to keep all of her secrets hidden and make a new life in the foreign land.

However, when the charming and charitable Callen Lockhart, a wealthy lord who is at odds with the town, welcomes her without judging her past, Caitrin worries that his generosity will come at a price she is unwilling to pay.

As her bond grows stronger, Caitrin must prove her blood magic isn't dangerous or suffer the consequences of the truth being discovered.

A Bond of Briars is a YA dark fantasy retelling of the Biblical story of Ruth, with fresh twists based on the original context and respun into a spooky cottagecore romance that is filled with dark magic and mysterious curses, sacrificial love and redemption, perfect for fans of House of Salt and Sorrow, and Sing Me Forgotten.

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Art of Deception by Cara Putman

This book has been on my wishlist, so I snatched it up when I saw it went on sale! 

About the Book

8 years ago she ran to safety. Now Charlotte Montgomery’s past has caught up with her.

Charlotte Montgomery was forced to leave everything behind to shield her son from a dangerous life. As an artist, she’s built a new world of safety and security for them both, far from the shadows that once haunted her. But the peace she’s fought so hard to maintain is shattered when her past comes crashing back.

The Italian crime family she escaped from has reappeared, determined to pull her back into their web of deceit and crime. This time, they want her to participate in their money-laundering scheme—and they won’t take no for an answer. But Charlotte has other plans. She’s willing to play along, but only to bring down the ex who tore her life apart.

Enter Thayer Jackson, an accountant who’s been approached by the FBI to help trace money connected to the same crime family. Drawn into the dangerous game Charlotte is playing, Thayer becomes both an ally and a complication. As they work together, the line between duty and desire blurs, and the stakes grow higher.

As her worlds collide, Charlotte must navigate a deadly game where the risks are greater than ever. With everything she’s built on the line, it’s a race to survive—and this time, she’s not fighting alone.

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Darkness Calls the Tiger by Janyre Tromp

I haven't read anything from this author, but I've heard great things about her. I've also never read any book about this part of WWII, so this should be interesting.

About the Book

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Imperial Japan devours the southern portion of Burma, intent on taking over mainland Asia. Unaware of the coming darkness, Kailyn Moran drifts in her role as the only daughter of a widowed missionary.

As whispers of war snake through the Kachin mountains, Kai's father is convinced God will protect the mission. He entrusts the village to her and the kind yet inexperienced new missionary, Ryan McDonough, while he makes routine visits to neighboring villages.

War descends like a tempest upon the mountain peaks, and an unbreakable bond forms between Kailyn and Ryan as they unite to provide solace to both villagers and the flood of refugees. Despite their tireless efforts, a brutal enemy shatters almost everything they love, pushing Kailyn to embark on a path of unrestrained vengeance.

Afraid he's losing the woman he loves, Ryan fights to protect Kai from the deadly consequences of her choices. But in the face of destruction, can he convince her of the power and freedom of forgiveness?

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Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think about them? What are some of the books you've recently added to your collection?