Secrets of Graves and Gold

Rites of Possession, Book 3

By: Eva Chase

Narrated by: Michelle Sparks, Jason Clarke

Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Will my magic save the realm... or drive me into madness?

In the wake of an uprising of illicit sorcery, my men and I find ourselves on the run—determined to clear our names by protecting the kingdom.

But to face off against the psychopaths who want to remake our country into a realm of chaos and brutality, I'll need to tap into my wild magic. And the god who's watched over me expects me to stand on my own now.

If I can't overcome the odds against us, the lives of the men I love are forfeit. But how far can I go without becoming what I've feared most?

*Secrets of Graves and Gold is the third book in a new fantasy romance series full of forbidden magic, impossible love, hot damaged men, and a rebellious heroine who's so much more than she imagines. There is one more book to come.*

©2024 Eva Chase (P)2024 Eva Chase

Ivy and Company on Another Adventure!!

This story start off right in the middle of the action with Ivy and company working against the scourge sorcerers! The story flows straight from there into further adventures against the sorcerers and maybe some slight treason. I loved the flow of the story and the length (~550 pages reading, ~13 hours listening) because it allowed for enough detail to be added to really dive into the world and fall in love with the characters.

Ivy and company have their adventures and all get to grow together, which I quite liked. Ivy gets to learn more about herself and her magic. She gets opportunities to try things out that she didn't previously think possible.
Getting to know Rheave was interesting. He's both young and old in his mannerisms. He finds joy in everything, from eating food to feeling cold. I liked how open to him Ivy was and how she was willing to include him in the adventures.

That ending!! Ahhhhh!!!! I am unwell, but I know that the next book will be out soon and that's the only thing keeping me going right now.
This story has some violence (detailed, but not gory), swearing, steamy times (single partner and group), and this ends on a cliffhanger (please don't let that be a limitation for you to enjoy this story or knock of a star rating because of that!!).

The narrators do a wonderful job with all the characters again! It's nice having the same ones back to continue on with the story. They both give all the characters life and are good at differentiating voices. I liked the female narrator's skilled voice change for Ivy's internal thoughts to Julita's commentary on events. I listened at 1.2x speed.

Strategies

One of the things I love about Eva Chase's work is that I can never guess what will happen next, I might think I have but she always manages to surprise me. At the end of the previous instalment of Rites of Possession series Ivy and her guys found themselves on the run even though they had just saved the King's life.

Ivy knows what her men have given up to come with her and knows that they will need to come up with a plan to defeat the uprising and save the Royal Family and the country from the evil sorcerers but she knows too that she must learn to control her magic, to be able to use it without suffering the consequences which seem to befall all the Riven of going mad. To this end when she is given the opportunity to learn more about her magic she takes it.

In the closing chapter of the second book, Rheave joins their party, he is gorgeous, loyal and so inquisitive with a lust for life that is quite refreshing, he makes a welcome addition to their group. I like all four men and how each brings something different into the mix. The five of them are a formidable force to be reckoned with. Ivy, trying not to use her magic comes up with a plan to use the king's enemies, in an attempt to protect the king and sets it up so that the King's two biggest enemies believe the other is attacking them. If this plan works perhaps the King will pardon Ivy and drop the charges of Treason against her guys.

But as is to be expected with all of Eva's books just when you think everything is going their way something so unexpected happens that it will leave you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next instalment. The cliffhanger ending of this book is the most shocking yet! I NEED the next book NOW!

The narration by Jason Clarke and Michelle Sparks is, as always, excellent and could not be improved upon.

Why Choose Fantasy Romance

Secrets of Graves and Gold by Eva Chase is a why choose fantasy romance that I listened to on audio narrated by Michelle Sparks and Jason Clarke. This is the third book in the Rites of Possession series.

I absolutely love Eva's books! She did an amazing job keeping me hooked through this book. I really enjoyed getting Ivy, Stavros, Casimir, Rheave and Aleksi's points of views throughout the book. It really brought the story to life.

Jason and Michelle did an amazing job on the narration. They both really know how to bring a story to life. I look forward to listening to more of their work in the future.

The book ended on a great cliffhanger that left me begging for more. I can't wait for the next book in the series Lady of Doom and Devotion to be released on June 5, 2024.

I would recommend this series if you're looking for a fantasy romance, slow burn romance, or why choose romance.

Wow

Dive into a spellbinding adventure with Ivy in this captivating series that defies all expectations.

As Ivy delves deeper into the world of magic, each step forward is fraught with unforeseen consequences and electrifying reactions.

Her companions undergo remarkable transformations, evolving with every perilous escapade alongside Ivy.

Brace yourself for a heart-stopping cliffhanger that will leave you on the edge of your seat, balancing exhilaration and fear. This series is a rollercoaster of thrills and surprises that will keep you hooked until the very end!

XOXO Lottie.

A MUST

This author is usually one of my go to when I am looking to read and/or listen to a RH book. As this is the third book in the series the story draws you further in. It is a must read and/or listen.

Eva Chace is a master fantasy author

What a joy to find Ivy and her men ready to take on the injustices of their world. The action, adventure, and spicy 🌶️ scenes were right on target. Eva Chace is a master fantasy author who brings life and love to the pages with ease. I’m sad that it’s over and I have to wait to find out what’s going to happen to Ivy next.

Great magic system and world building

Great continuation of the series. The magic system continues to be interesting to read about and I like seeing how Ivy and her men’s relationships develop as the series goes along.

Named As Traitors

I was entertained by book three of the "Rites of Possession". Ivy and her group of men were on the run, but they were also trying to save their country from the magic wielding psychopaths who were trying to take over. The worldbuilding was extensive and the magic system was creative. I liked the growing feeling of family between Ivy and her group; however, there were some very steamy descriptive scenes including one with multiple partners. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Michelle Sparkes' and Jason Clarke's dual narrations added to the story's entertainment. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review which reflected my opinions.

Further down the rabbit hole we go…

Overall Thoughts: OMG this cliffhanger has me going bonkers trying to figure out how /ivy and her guys will get out of this precarious situation. I hope I don’t have to wait for the fourth and final book in the series. This book picks up pretty much where book two ends, and this book definitely takes you on a wild ride. The five travelers find themselves in some dire predicaments as they travel the country looking for the scourge sorcerers. Michelle and Jason have embodied these characters to the point I can’t imagine anyone else voicing them. If you made it this far in the series then you know what I’m talking about, the world building in this series is epic.

Narration: Dual narration, first-person present tense POV with a few flashbacks.

Tropes: friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, secret life, academy, grumpy/sunshine, reverse harem, noble and commoner, military, fighting to save the world, fantasy

Overall: 4.5

Spice: 2.5

Humor: 2

Drama: 3.5

Darkness: 2.5

This books picks up right where the second one left off, so if you haven’t read or listened to them yet, there will be spoilers…

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When this band of warriors learn that their king’s life may still be in danger even after witnessing the death of the scourge sorcerer’s leader, they immediately head to his and the royal families aid, but when Ivy is forced to use her power to save the royal family the king demands she be killed because of her magic.

Once they know the royals are safe they flee, looking for answers on who they can save their kingdom from being overrun by savage magic wielding puppets. Someone is pulling their strings if they could only find out who.

At every turn the group comes up against challenges and people who would love nothing more than to turn the renegades in. When Ivy meets someone who can finally help her with her magic, she takes full advantages of her lessons so she can better manage to keep a handle of her tenuous magic, but when Ivy comes face-to-face with the one leading the rebellion against the kingdom, will it be enough to save her and her men?

THE PLOT THICKENS!

I am really enjoying this series. There was plenty of action, adventure, drama, and suspense! The plot thickens and makes you impatient to find out what is going to happen next. The narration was great and kept me entertained. The author did a great job with the character builds and plot. I can't wait to read the next book! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.