Review: Savage Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac #2)

Author Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti 

Format e-ARC 

Print Length 513 pages 

Publisher self 

Published Dec. 6, 2019

There's more to my brother's murder than I realised...

Shadows in the halls, mysteries lurking around every corner.

Whoever killed him is covering their tracks well.

And now I'm walking a dangerous line between getting close to the four kings for information and wanting to crawl deeper under their skin for my own desires.

I can't trust anyone.

I can't let my guard down.

And I must keep the urges of my body separate from my heart.

But I'm starting to break all of my own rules.

I just hope I'm not falling for my brother's killer. 

My Opinion 

Savage Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac #2) is the second book in the spin-off series Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac. There maybe spoilers from the original series Supernatural Beasts and Bullies (Zodiac Academy) in this review- consider yourself warned. 

Elise is still at Aurora Academy trying to discover the identity of her brother’s killer. She has narrowed down the suspect pool to the four kings of the academy. Her mission is a secret for the most part, no one knowing about it. What she finds at the end of book one does lead to one of the kings figuring out her connection to Gareth. He starts to help her find out the truth about her brother’s death. He is also eaten away with guilt although proclaims that he had nothing to do with his death. Where is the guilt coming from? 

We learn more about all of the kings in this book. Still have no clue who Gabriel is and who is after him. Leon has an older brother who is well a charismatic asshole. Elise hands him fairly well though, and come on who doesn’t want Leon to be happy. Him stalking the stalker was pretty funny as well. Dante’s family is interesting, his momma a sweet lady- although I wonder if she is the one who tortured Ryder. Ryder on the hands is still tough as nails, Elise mellows him more than anyone knows. 

Now reverse harems are typically not my thing. Okay it is fair to say I hate them. This one though, not hating so much. Yes, I started reading it because it was a spin-off of another book series that I loved and I was hoping to see Orion. Still haven’t seen him, still going to keep reading the series looking for him. Why am I not hating it so much- it doesn’t have a reverse harem feel to it. Elise is not screwing each guy every other chapter. I am hoping that in the end she is with Gabriel, he is my favorite in the series. Since it is reverse harem though, I am pretty sure that she will get all of them in the end. This of course, hurts my romantic heart a little. 

The ending though between Ryder and Dante is heartbreaking. I cannot wait to see where this leads to. A war is coming but with whom? Will two kings be on one side, standing together due to a woman? We still don’t know how Gareth died, although Cindy Lou is my prime suspect- only suspect. I just don’t see any of the guys doing it. This one leaves us with more questions than answers, which is just where the authors of a great series want us to be.

My Rating 4 out of 5 stars 

Favorite Quote “Because I think if I gave you my trust, you’d use it to steal my heart and once it was yours you’d never give it back."

Other People 

Ms. Nightshade- Siren, counselor shady as all get out 

Ryder- Dragon shifter, mortal enemy to Dante 

Dante- Basilisk shifter, mortal enemy to Ryder 

Leon- Lion shifter, family of thieves, friends with Dante 

Gareth- Harpy, roommate, loner

Waiting On Wednesday (47) Nameless Queen

Hey y'all, thanks so much for stopping by my WoW! 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

One girl must make a name for herself--or die trying --in this royal fantasy where an unknown peasant becomes the ultimate ruler. But how long can she keep the crown if everyone wants her dead? Perfect for fans of Furyborn, Red Queen, and Everless.

Everyone expected the king's daughter would inherit the throne. No one expected me.

It shouldn't even be possible. I'm Nameless, a class of citizens so disrespected, we don't even get names. Heck, dozens of us have been going missing for months and no one seems to care.

But there's no denying the tattoo emblazoned on my arm. I am queen. In a palace where the corridors are more dangerous the streets, though, how could I possibly rule? And what will become of the Nameless if I don't?

Why am I waiting?

A debut author who could become one of my go to authors? Hey it could happen! I love the concept behind this one. A tattoo mysteriously appearing on her arm- granting the lower part of society some mobility. It's appealing- rags to riches. An entire class depending on her.

Teaser Tuesday (47) Daughter of the Dragon

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

Teaser One

“There is no place on earth you can hide her.” Karim’s eyes were filled with hate and rage. “I will come for her, and even if you have an army of a thousand men, you will not stop me.”

Daughter of the Dragon Kindle Location 2298

Sounds like the Crown Prince has a little crush. Maybe he is serious about coming for her, or maybe he just likes to yell. Only time will tell.

Teaser Two

“Now what? Are we supposed to date, get married, and live happily ever after? No, thank you. I’d rather be alone than to be with someone who was with me because of guilt. I deserve better.”

Daughter of the Dragon Kindle Location 3115

DeeDee is sticking up for herself, advocating for herself. I am liking this newly confident DeeDee. You go girl!

Teaser Three

But there was something about this whole thing that didn’t sit right with her. And she feared that there was more to this than meets the eye.

Daughter of the Dragon Kindle Location 3575

DeeDee is right, something is not as it seems. But what?

Waiting on Wednesday (48) Princess Ballot

Hey y'all, thanks so much for stopping by my WoW! 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

You have been chosen.

Those four words change Violet Spencer’s whole life, when against staggering odds, she's selected in the "princess ballot."

Arbon Academy is affectionately known as the school for Royals. Only the rich, powerful, or heir to a throne gain entry ... except for the one scholarship student accepted every five years. It's a worldwide lottery, and one that Violet entered without giving it any serious thought.

But the media got it wrong and Arbon Academy is much more than a simple college for future leaders.

It’s a dark world of politics, intrigue, and dangerous guys who will stop at nothing to get their own way. Despite her best efforts at remaining off the radar, Violet finds herself a pawn between two of the most powerful monarchies in the world.

Prince Rafe of the Switzerlands and Prince Alex of the Australasias are bitter enemies both on the soccer field and in the political arena. Monarchies rule the world now, and every waking breath is a competition for the princes.

Control the ball.

Control the world.

Control Violet.

Whether it's through love or hate, someone will ultimately win.

Why am I waiting?

It's a Jaymin Eve book- she is my go to auto buy author.  I have read almost everything she has written.  She has never disappointed me.  She could probably write an owners manual to a microwave and I would auto-buy it, sit aside a night and read it all the way through.

Teaser Tuesday (48) Dark King

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

Teaser One

This was the thing with men, as my mother—Queen Malgven herself—had warned me. It didn’t matter who you really were; they wrote their own stories about you. They cast you in one of several roles: the innocent girl who needed teaching, the lunatic who needed calming, the whore who’d break your heart. 

Dark King page 94

Now how is that for a bedtime story? Can you imagine a momma like that?

Teaser Two

“In any case, if you tried to destroy the world, I’m sure you’d have a good reason.”

 “Right. Like if someone next to me on the bus chewed a banana with their mouth open.” 

“You’d be well within your rights to send the earth into a black hole for that. Anyone would agree.”

Dark King page 223

I despise loud chewing! So of course I had to include this teaser!

Teaser Three

“Do you have any idea how many women would pay to have me chain them up? This doesn’t really seem a fitting punishment. You know, I could draw out your agony until you begged for death instead.”

Dark King page 239

Say what? I hope she kills him, painfully.