This book was OK I liked it but didn't love it and I would recommend this book. The author did a great job I just don't think this book was for me. But I still would recommend it.

Cora is a long voyage messenger and she is now tasked with taking the prince across the sea for a mission tasked by their King against her better judgement. Her companion may be a total package but she is worried he will land them in hot water. Cora will have to work magic to get him across the sea and back or else her father will pay the price if the Prince fails to return.

I really like this author- the world building was awesome and very original. I loved the characters! Super fun and sassy! If you’re a fan of adventure and fantasy with a dash of romance this is definitely for you! Definitely a fun recommendation if you need a weekend read!

I rated this a five out of five. It also had some spice which I loved! Netgalley provided this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed the author’s Raven Crawford books and was hoping this was more of the same. While it’s a fun fantasy book, it didn’t capture me in quite the same way and Cora wasn’t as engaging a character for me. Still an entertaining read but the other series was better imo.

Cora works as a messenger for the Eyrie, traversing dangerous territory to keep a fragile peace with their human neighbors. When the crown prince Ronan needs to meet human emissaries, Cora is coopted to ensure his safe return. The meeting is a trap and Ronan and Cora find themselves injured and far from home. They will have to rely on one another to make it back before war breaks between two nations.

I love the world building in this story. The scientific blending of DNA has created a race of people with wings - Cora has dark wings since she is a cormorant and Ronan has white wings since he is an eagle. It reminds me a bit of James Patterson's Maximum Ride series for teens - if the experiments got to percolate for several generations and build their own society. It was nice to see a scientific response to humanoids instead of a magical one.

I enjoyed the enemies to lovers in this until the reason for them being enemies was revealed. It was just communication that was lacking which is my least favorite thing in books (and real life). I was a bit underwhelmed with the smut in the book as well as they teased it so many times and then when it actually happened it was over in half a page.

Cormorant Run by J.C. McKenzie, an interesting read, the world is not as you'd expect and magic runs in different ways than normal. Sapavians are the main characters in this book and I hope you enjoy it!

Another well-written read by author J.C. Mckenzie. A very entertaining and thrilling adventure. I give it 3.5 stars

An amazing perfectly-paced fantasy story

I adored this book! I say it without hesitation. I couldn't stop reading. The characters were enthralling, the world absolutely breathtaking and the plot honestly amazing. I loved the fact that the chapters were quite short because I find it easier to read. I loved the quotes at the beginning too, they were perfectly chosen. Cora is a fantastic protagonist and I loved following her fascinating story. Between heated romance, action-packed adventures and mysteries, I was completely in love!

The best book I've read with this app so far!

Thank you to Netgalley, J. C. McKenzie, and Xpresso Book Tours for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!

To give you some context in this world exist humans and sapavians (half-humans - half avians) and they sort of hate each other. Ronin, the prince, gets to go on a meeting with the human to get an arrangement between both species.

Ronin has been Cora's crush since she was a little girl but when her mother dies attacked by humans and she barely makes it, both Ronin and her sister stopped talking to her, and Cora and her father get kicked out of the palace, she decides that she will never let him get that close to her and make her feelings for him disappear.

The problem appears when for Ronin to get into the meeting they have to go across the Carrion Channel and the only one who can do that is Cora, which means she and Ronin will have to face each other again. Because of some circumstances they get stuck with each other and get their past behind them or not.

Cora is a badass girl, I love her confidence in herself and how capable she is to do this in her own way and the sexual tension between both her and Ronin is huge. I really like how Cora doesn't let Sasha (Ronin's little sister) get into her mind and how confident she is. The course of the book was great, how the action and the romance go together, the secrets and the mystery resolving, and how every single detail has a meaning and makes sense at the end.

Ronin on the other side has a really big ego and Cora is kind of putting him where he belongs, there were some times when I was thinking like "boy, listen to her, she does know more about life than you do" and others were he protected her that made me love him even more.

The cliche of old friends with some hate-love relationships between both the protagonists, both of them has reasons to hate each other but I feel like they are quite transparent with the other one and that helps a lot in how they relationship evolves and THERE IS NO FINAL DRAMA FIGHT BETWEEN THEM, I feel like I had to say this because I am super grateful with this. It shows how a book can end with a final climax without taking problems from nowhere.

I loved how this author writes and how dynamic and fast the reading was, both the fantasy and the romance were completely well balanced, I am for sure reading this author again.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read Cormorant run by J.C. McKenzie. When I requested it I had assumed this was the latest book in the author's Raven Crawford's series, but Cormorant run is a stand alone book and even though it wasn't I enjoyed the book just as much as the series.
As a messenger for the Eyrie’s spymaster, Cora regularly braves the dangerous passage infested with sea monsters to reach a land filled with vicious arrow-toting humans--now she must do it with an added companion: the arrogant heir of the Eyrie, Prince Ronin needs to broker a truce between two feuding realms and Cora needs to keep her former crush alive without throttling him or revealing the key to her success.
Cormorant run is a post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasy with strong romantic elements and a touch of humour thrown in.

A fascinating avian-human society living alongside ordinary humans. Though their lands border each other, the humans and Sapavians are long time enemies. Due to mutual need, the monarchs of both countries agree to meet to discuss a potential truce. Cora, a young Sapavian woman, is one of the few who are able to survive the dangerous flight between the two nations. When she is ordered to see her prince safely across the border, keeping him safe from sea monsters will be the least of her troubles.

While I was fascinated with avian-humans (who doesn't want wings?), this book was more of a steamy romance than a flying fantasy. There were lots of great flying moments, and I appreciated the fantasy elements, but mostly the plot focused on Cora and her old crush, traveling together, denying their mutual attraction, and surviving several dangerous situations. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the romance, but it was very cheesy. The two had a lot of chemistry and more than one interrupted moment.

Aside from the cheesy romance, the plot itself was pretty good. Flying, running for their lives, mysterious sea monsters... It was a good quick read.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because I had read this author's Raven Crawford series and loved it. So I expected the same here. And I was right to. I had a lot of fun reading this. Cora had a great personality and when she's forced together with Ronin, they each bring out another side of the other. Pushing buttons and teasing. It was awesome.

The whole background of this book was complicated and while explained a few times, never really was explained completely to me. Honestly though, I didn't care. It was only there to explain why there was all these races of creatures that shouldn't exist and why everyone at the Eyrie were a mix of various bird and human DNA.

When Cora was growing up she was very close to the royal family and their kids. She fell hard for the heir, Ronin, at a young age. But when her father is falsely accused of treason, her family is banished from the Eyrie to a post on the human land. If that wasn't bad enough, Cora loses her mother to those humans one night and she herself eventually washes up on the banks of the Eyrie broken, barely clinging to life, with no memory of what happened. Abandoned by those she thought were her friends, Cora puts herself back together and eventually becomes her father's best messenger. See, her father is the country's spy master and she has become one of the few who can safely travel the waters between their land and the human lands.

When the king comes to specifically ask her to escort Ronin across the channel on a peace mission, she knows it's not really a request. If she says no, he'll kill her and her father. If she comes home without Ronin, he'll kill her and her father. She's trapped and she knows it, but she's determined to get the job done. Despite her dislike and distrust of Ronin. The bickering between these two starts immediately and hardly ever stops. When they eventually make it to the human land they are shot at right away, leaving Cora hurt. So Ronin decides he will go to the meeting himself. Shocking that he finds himself betrayed and Cora having to save him. From there it's mostly these two fleeing from the humans after them while trying to heal their wounds, which are substantial. It's not easy at all because every human they encounter is an enemy, even one that Cora has dealt with regularly. The bickering continues, but as time passes it changes. These two are getting closer with each day that passes. Eventually they are found by two hunters who are actually on their side serving their human king. Those two were also a lot of fun to have around. Ronin gets his meeting with the king and an agreement is reached. Now these two just need to finish healing so they can get home with this good news. During which time Ronin realizes just how much Cora owns his heart and Cora allows herself to hope for a future with Ronin.

During their travels we encounter and learn about a bunch of the other creatures that live during this time. Some cooler than others, and some more vicious than others. Like the unicorn. That's one creature that ended up nothing like what you'd think. We also learn that there is traitor in Eyrie and something terrible has happened in Ronin's absence.

When these two are finally healed enough to head home, Ronin loses Cora and forces himself to continue. Only to receive yet another devastating blow when he makes it back. While Cora is gone we find out a secret that her mother had which explains all those little things we've seen in Cora that makes her different from everyone else. And it was kind of neat. Fortunately for Ronin, after learning the truth, Cora makes it back to the palace in time to save him. Do I even need to say they get their happy ever after?

The only thing I'd complain about was that ending. It was just so abrupt and I have soooo many questions about so many things. Like, where was her father? How did the treaty go with the humans?

Still. I totally enjoyed this.

"Cormorant Run" is a well written, enticing fantasy novel containing a great display of suspence and romantic. It's well worth reading, I couldn't stop until the last page.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read the Raven Crawford series by this author, and thought I knew what to expect. Though the writing is just as strong and as witty, this is entirely different. In this novel, wars and genetic manipulation have destroyed what we know as humanity, and now there are several species, distinct and different from humans, but from them nonetheless. The Sapavians, winged humans, are generally hated by the humans who hid in bunkers during the fallout years and have now emerged.

This story follows a young woman who was once the playmate of the royal children and had a crush on the prince until a disaster took place and she lost their friendship and her mother. She’s the only person to complete flights without being destroyed by some of the sea monsters, and is stuck escorting her once crush on a diplomatic mission.
Throughout the following mystery of who is trying to kill them and why, they deal with their personal issues and learnt things about their past that change their fate.

This was an amazing story, and a fun world to read about. I wish this were the beginning of a series because this would be a fun world to read about, but even on its own, this story was just truly satisfying and a delight to read.

ARC from NetGalley

A standalone fantasy about a post apocalyptic world where genetic engineering and a nuclear catastrophe has led to many strange creatures. The sapavians are Cora's people, human-bird hybrids. Essentially, they are just humans with wings, though they do take on a lot of their bird ancestors' traits.

The post apocalyptic situation is referenced infrequently enough that I got to stay in my cozy fantasy bubble without being brought too far into some sci-fi dystopia (which I don't dislike, but I need to be in the mood and know what I'm signing up for.)

It took me a little while to get into this book. I had to get used to all the bird references, but once Cora and Ronin get to share the majority of the screen time, things improved. Their banter is great. If you like all those swoony, broody, cocky fantasy princes, you'll dig him. He does it well.

The romance was slow-burn, enemies-to-loversish. I mean, it's obvious they're going to get together, but I still enjoyed the chase. There is sex, though it isn't excessive. It's not super graphic, but it isn't simply an allusion either.

This could have been a 5-star read for me if the pacing had been better and the plot had been better fleshed out. We spend the majority of the story with Cora and Ronin, and when they get back to the Eyrie, things unfold way too fast. The whole beast situation and the resultant facts from that unveiling made me wonder if there was a second book coming. The plot took backstage to the romance here, which is a shame because it could have been a better, more well-rounded book. It had excellent potential. I still recommend it. It's a good, quick read.

Wow, just wow. I had this on my Kindle for a while, who knew?!

The story is about the world in the future, where Sapavians exist. They have been scientifically formed by splicing bird and human DNA and look like humans that can fly. Cora is from the Cormorant clan (sea ravens). She lives at The Eyrie (where all Sapavians live) and works as a messenger to the Isle of Man (where humans live and all kinds of scientifically created beasts). For that she has to cross the Carrion Channel which is dangerous. For example there is a Sea Beast, but Cora can sense him and avoid.

The story begins when the King of Eyrie orders Cora to escort his son, prince Ronin, to the Isle. Cora's father used to be the King's best friend, but something happened years ago that caused a rift and the death of Cora's mother. Cora also lost the friendship of Ronin and his sister and still resents him for it, even when she used to have a big crush on him. So Cora and Ronin set off to the Isle, to make sure Ronin can go to a secret meeting. But nothing goes as planned and while Cora and Ronin are on the run for their lives, their chemistry erupts.

I totally loved this original story. You get both Cora's as Ronin's POV and the UST was evident. Written beautifully I could not wait to finish the story. It seems to be a standalone, but I would love more stories in this world. Off to dive into this author's backlist. She has a new fan.
Highly recommend.

*** I requested and received an ARC via Netgalley but also bought a digital copy myself. ***

Humans and sapavians (avian-human beings) are living in neighboring lands but are enemies. When the sapavian prince goes to the human land to talk about a truce, Cora, one of the only sapavian able to survive the dangerous 10 hours flight between both lands, is ordered to escort him. Once there, they will have to survive ambushes, hunters, and savages creatures.

This story is not bad, but the plot was mainly about Cora and her old crush on Ronin, traveling together, denying their mutual attraction, super cheesy romance, surviving dangerous situations, and repeating all these steps again and again. There is no goal to this story besides them hiding so their wings can heal so they can go back home.

The author tried to create a mystery around the character’s past, but it fell short. All it did was weakening the plot. There is obviously a past between Cora and Ronin, and we know that things ended badly between her family and his, but that’s about it. They seem to both have some regrets and to both be angry at the other’s family… But at the same time, they both apparently have an undying love for the other. Honestly, both main characters are a little dumb at times. Ronin believed that Cora’s father betrayed the King, and the king tried to kill him and his family, then allowed them to come back to the Eyrie (as if the king would just accept that Cora and her father came back and let Cora’s father remain the spymaster). Cora seemed surprised to learn that Ronin came to the human isle to talk about possible peace and establish trade, but why else would he go there, in person, and in secret? Everything seems to be a surprise for them when it was just obvious most of the time.

Besides that, many things do not make much sense in this story. First, why would prince Ronin go to a secret meeting in enemy territory without anyone to protect him? Humans have been known to try to kill sapavians. Not only that, but the king threatened to kill Cora’s father if anything happened to the prince, but he sent the prince with no protection at all! Cora and Ronin uncover a kind of conspiracy that threatens their life, but at the same time, they are naive enough to follow hunters just because they said that they meant no harm and that their king really wants to talk to them.

I would describe this world as fantasy/post-apocalypse. There are mentions of scientists experimenting with human DNA and creating the sapavians (and other creatures) and of a nuclear catastrophe, but the lands and history is not one that we could associate with our real world.

Overall, the romance really killed this book for me. It was predictable and unrealistic. The dialogue had me cringe a few times, and Ronin went from abandoning Cora and not giving a sh*t about her to professing his eternal love in the span of a few days.

Friends to enemies to lovers, a great easy read. Both main characters are likeable. I wish the author had brought their family backgrounds into the story a little bit more.

Cormorant Run is my first read from this author and I have to say I was impressed. The vivid world building was executed extremely well and I was sucked in early on. After human experiments go awry and meddling with nuclear weapons brings about the apocalypse, those that remain (human and non-human) must learn to coexist or there's no hope for any of them. Sent on a task by the King and her father to ferry the Prince/heir across the channel to barter a peace treaty with the humans is a life threatening task for them both. Given the sordid and estranged past between the heroine and Prince Ronin things are tense for much of the journey. Threats are around every corner and nowhere is safe when they are being hunted for simply existing. While not a fighter at heart Cora more than proves herself on the journey and saves the Prince and herself more times than she could count. Then injuries leave them stranded and not only force them to remain in enemy territory but spend time together in which they can either mend the severed bonds between them and give into the sexual tension or go on as enemies. Very well written & engaging with a well built world that was fascinating and fun to read.

Myth: 4/5

McKenzie created a fascinating world. Genetic experimentation led to bird-human hybrids. The world of the Eyrie seems to include many different bird species, cormorants, eagles, pigeons, etc. It was intricately woven through the story how they maintain attributes of their bird brethren.

The romance was just what you wanted, with plenty of chemistry and teasing moments. The story was action packed. It kicked off with a bang (or arrow shot) and really didn’t stop after that. I’m super impressed by the completeness of story and world building in a single novel. The world created could easily have (a may yet, I’m sure only McKenzie knows) spanned multiple novels. Certainly enjoyed the mysteries and challenges set up and overcome over the course of the story, without any excessive stops for exposition.

Magic: 4/5

Besides being bird-human hybrids and the world and mythos built around that, you can still tell that Cora is different. She’s the only messenger that can make it across the channel, and she does so quite regularly. Her otherness is well built up and unlocked along with the unfolding of the romance.

Overall: 4/5

I really enjoyed it. I find it so refreshing after reading so many series to enjoy an engaging and complete self contained novel. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to enjoy more of the world of the eyrie if given the opportunity.