Book Review: Fantastical (Fantasyland #3) by Kristen Ashley

Fantastical (Fantasyland #3) 
By Kristen Ashley
Release Date: November 2nd, 2011
Number of Pages: Unknown
Format: ebook
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurbs from Goodreads:
Cora Goode has woken up in a fairytale world where she can understand what birds are saying to her, men ride horses and have fluffy feathers in their hats and furniture zigs, zags and whirls in miracles of construction.

The problem is, she thinks she's in a dream but she's actually taken the place of the parallel universe Cora and without realizing it, our Cora does something that starts a centuries old curse that will sweep the land if she gets captured by the evil Minerva.

At this point, her dream world becomes a nightmare.

Luckily, hot guy, fantasyland Noctorno is there to save her from the clutches of the grotesque vickrants sent by Minerva to capture her. Unfortunately, hot guy, fantasyland Noctorno doesn't like the Cora of his world all that much (to say the least) and he thinks our Cora is her. And no matter what our Cora says or does to try to convince him, he won't be convinced.

But Cora needs Tor to keep her safe and guide her through this fantastical world as she hopes one day to wake up in her not-so-great apartment in her not-so-great life in her world. The problem is, the more time she spends with the gorgeous, warrior Tor, the faster she falls in love with him.

My Review:
Whoah, totally surprising. As I read The Golden Dynasty first, nothing, I say again, NOTHING could have beaten Lahn. If you've read it, you'll know what I mean but I was really surprised by Fantastical. Oh my. I have my lack of sleep and panda eyes to totally prove it.

I started reading it at 4am after finishing Jennifer Ashley's The Duke's Perfect Wife. My few minutes turned to hours. I officially went to sleep at almost 9am!! Owh my gawd! Thank god it was Labor Day and I didn't have class.

I L.O.V.E Fantastical. It wasn't as riveting as TGD but it was so fluffy and lovable that I couldn't help falling in love with Tor, Cora and their world. It was awesome and great in it's own cute way. Its premise and Cora's character gave me a very, very Snow White-tish vibe.

I won't bore you with my gushing but I will just state a few of my favorite things:

1. Tor. He isn't Lahn but Tor has his own charisma and machoism. I found him h-a-w-t and so cute. Swoons.

2. Cora. She is so bubbly and kept reminding me of the Disney Princesses. When she bawled her eyes out to Tor and demanded to go home, it was so hilariously endearing and cute. What happened after that incident was yummy and also touching.

3. Noc. Ha! He was the other Tor and a very intriguing character. I look forward to read his own story - soon.

4. Phoebe. Cora's BFF is really supportive and showed what true friends should be.

5. Cora's parents (the heroine's parents, not the beyotch's one) were so cuteeeee.

6. APOLLO!!!!! Yeah, yeah, he only appeared in the epilogue but I was soooo EXCITED that his story's next. The ending of Wildest Dreams hinted at it but this time, it is absolutely certain. It is even mentioned in Kristen's website.


Fantastical was simply magical and amazing. I can't wait for Apollo's story. Kristen Ashley, you rock!

Book Review: Wildest Dreams (Fantasyland #1) by Kristen Ashley

Wildest Dreams (Fantasyland #1)
By Kristen Ashley
Release Date: August 16th, 2011
Number of Pages: Unknown
Format: ebook
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ 1/2


Blurbs from Goodreads:

Seoafin "Finnie" Wilde was taught by her parents that life was meant to be lived, every breath was a treasure and to seek every adventure she could find. And she learns this lesson the hard way when they perish in a plane crash when she's fifteen. But she never forgets and when she discovers there is a parallel universe where every person has a twin, she finds a witch who can send her there so she can see her parents again and have the adventure of a lifetime.

But nearly upon arrival in the Winter Wonderland of Lunwyn, she realizes she's been played by her twin of the alternate universe and shortly finds herself walking down the aisle to be wed to The Drakkar.

Instantly thrown into inauspicious circumstances, with years of practice (she did, of course, survive that elephant stampede, if she could do that, she can do anything), Finnie bests the challenges and digs into her adventure. But as Frey Drakkar discovers the woman who is his new wife is not Princess Sjofn, a woman he dislikes (intensely) but instead, his Finnie, a free-spirit with a thirst for venture just like him (not to mention she is his destiny), without her knowledge he orders his new bride bound to his frozen world, everlasting.

My Review:

It wasn't as good as The Golden Dynasty but nevertheless, it was still enjoyable to a certain extent.

The heroine in this one didn't leave a deep impression on me as she had a penchant for crying whenever she got emotional. This, I didn't adore. I really wished she had more kickassness in her. She was missing the fieriness and spirit that I loved reading about in Circe.

The hero was "actively working on siring an heir". Frey is an alright hero but he definitely loses to Lahn. So, yeahhhhhh.......

Overall, it didn't really excite me like I hope it would but it was still a good read.

Book Review: The Golden Dynasty (Fantasyland #2) by Kristen Ashley

The Golden Dynasty (Fantasyland #2)
By Kristen Ashley
Release Date: August 22nd, 2011
Number of Pages: Unknown
Format: ebook
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:
Circe Quinn goes to sleep at home and wakes up in a corral filled with women wearing sacrificial virgin attire - and she is one of them. She soon finds out that she’s not having a wild dream, she’s living a frightening nightmare where she’s been transported to a barren land populated by a primitive people and in short order, she’s installed very unwillingly on her white throne of horns as their Queen.

Dax Lahn is the king of Suh Tunak, The Horde of the nation of Korwahk and with one look at Circe, he knows she will be his bride and together they will start The Golden Dynasty of legend.

Circe and Lahn are separated by language, culture and the small fact she’s from a parallel universe and has no idea how she got there or how to get home. But facing challenge after challenge, Circe finds her footing as Queen of the brutal Korwahk Horde and wife to its King, then she makes friends then she finds herself falling in love with this primitive land, its people and especially their savage leader.

My Review:
Dear Kristen,
WOW. I don't know what to say. I've been skeptical of self published authors for certain reasons but you certainly came charging and f-ing blew my brains and reasons out the window. I don't care about the sentence structure, vocabs, grammar or punctuation stuff or even the "get an editor" crap reviewers like to comment concerning self publish authors.

This is because I was so taken in and fell immediately in love with your beautiful and gorgeous writing where the characters come to life and are so real. You are truly a gem.

Yes, the content is brutal but it is a fact of life and a culture. It happens in history and you just gotta deal. But Circe and Lahn were so sweet. I could practically melt from all the sweetness pouring out of the savage brute, Lahn.

I even came to love and care deeply about the secondary characters like Diandra, Zahnin, Sabine and so many others - even Circe's girls. It was a brutal, cruel, slap-in-the-face world but oh, so alive and sweet.

The Golden Dynasty deeply affected and excited me to the very core and I thank you for sharing this exhilarating tale with us readers.

Yeah, you got it. I am a fan of Khal Drogo and Khaleesi from GoT. They rock!

I'm on to Wildest Dreams.

P/S: Dhes, I will always be eternally grateful for your wonderful review and pimping. You're the woman!