Title: The Kitsune Giggle
Author: Arizona Tape
Series: The Griffin Sanctuary #3
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, LGBTQI, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

There is something so cute about the idea of kitsune – I seem to be finding them a little bit in the stories that I’ve been reading lately. And, I honestly just love them. Which, of course, meant that I was incredibly keen to dive into a book that was about kitsune and their habits. Or at least, kitsune in the world of Tape. The fact that the kitsune in this is really lonely and needs to find a companion was even better. Plus, then there’s Charlotte, Felicity and all of their friends as they negotiate life working in a sanctuary.

As with all of the books in the Griffin Sanctuary series, I love the amount of detail that Tape uses to create the paranormal creatures which Charlotte takes care of. Taking a kitsune, which is recognisable in folklore, and creating a totally relatable canine that you just want to hug is very cleverly done. I love that this little fox pulls at your heart strings from the very beginning. And, along with Charlotte, you constantly want her to find her happily ever after and companion that she truly needs.

I’m a big lover of pets and loving anything furry that will let me. However, I’ve never been okay with the exotic pet trade. And this story is a bit of a reminder why – the kitsune featured in this was a pet, and therefore unable to thrive in the wild. So, when her two fellow kitsune were released, she was left alone and started to self harm. I mean, this is a really sweet and good read – so it meant that there was a happily ever after for the kitsune. But, it was still a reminder of the damage that the exotic pet trade can have on an individual animal – some animals just aren’t meant to be caged.

As with everything set in this world, I absolutely adored The Kitsune Giggle. Not only did I love getting to know the kitsune’s and the process for finding a companion animal. But I also loved how Charlotte and Felicity took a further step in their relationship. How Charlotte is trying to make inroads to forming a relationship with her fellow apprentices – and the obstacles to that. And just, generally the entirety of this story. A very pleasant read after a difficult day.

Image source: Kobo

Title: The Phoenix Nest
Author: Arizona Tape
Series: The Griffin Sanctuary #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, LGBTQI, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Charlotte has been an amazing character from her very first appearance in The Unicorn Herd. It was fun to see how she begins to get on in her apprenticeship and learn more about the many paranormal animals that she gets to take care of. Plus, there’s also her relationship that she gets to try and figure out and negotiate – something I’m seriously enjoying alongside all of the fun animals.

I might not be someone who is completely in love with chickens – but I did love the phoenixes! They are incredibly derpy and silly. I mean, who wouldn’t love a pair of large, flammable dopes running around? I spent a lot of this story just laughing, at the two phoenixes. To the point that my family and dogs edged away from me – I mean, they were completely hilarious.

I love that the story of the phoenixes and their breeding program is constantly questioning where the line is with sanctuaries and breeding. I mean, it’s a hard one – yes, breeding programs can save a species. But, by breeding in captivity and not being able to release the individuals, are we really doing something positive? There are no straight answers to this question, but it was a good way to provide an example of all of the grey areas.

I did feel really bad for the male phoenix in this. Although there were so many wonderful and thoughtful moments throughout this, there was a bit of a sad ending. But, it did end with babies and some joy, so it wasn’t all bad. Now I can’t wait to find out more about the kitsunes in The Kitsune Giggle.

Image source: Kobo

Title: The Unicorn Herd
Author: Arizona Tape
Series: The Griffin Sanctuary #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, LGBTQI, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

I honestly just read this because I’m going through the alphabet when I’m picking books at the moment (I have no idea why). So, of the “U” books, this one looked like the most fun (and I’ve enjoyed my forays into Tape’s writing before). And wow, am I glad that I picked this story. It was a great read, and the premise of being a keeper at a paranormal zoo – I seriously need more! I honestly couldn’t put this down, not just for the joy of meeting the different characters, but I loved the day to day reality of being an apprentice zookeeper.

As I was reading this, I was really worried that this was going to be a series that follows a different couple each book – I hadn’t really read much about the series overall. And, I’m glad to say that that’s not the case. Rather, at the conclusion of this, Charlotte is poised to continue her awesome work and continuing to make the relationships that I really enjoyed throughout. Plus, there are more animals to discover and fall in love with.

Although I primarily fixated on the animals in this story, because I’m animal obsessed, I also loved the development of the characters. I love that when Charlotte’s love interest reveals that she is interested, she reminds Charlotte to not just make assumptions. We’re all guilty of it, and I loved that gentle way that Charlotte is reminded to stop and think about what she is assuming. And how both the women are able to build themselves up together, even if they have a bit of a rougher start to their relationship.

The Unicorn Herd was a beautiful story and one that left me feeling content and happy after I finished the final page. It was a fairly quick and easy read, but that’s sometimes all that you need. And I’m glad that I had the privilege of diving into this world. Being swept away in the fantastic world building of Tape and just finding yet another enjoyable series to leave on my TBR.

Image source: Amazon

Title: The Griffin Mission
Author: Arizona Tape
Series: The Griffin Sanctuary #0.5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, LGBTQI, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2021

This was a very short and easy read, one that told the tale of how the Griffin Sanctuary came about. The founders, Ella and Starlise were introduced to my knowledge in The Unicorn Herd (because I read this first), so it was fun to see how they fell for each other and created the sanctuary. Plus, there is some massive fangirling about the couple and their dedication to animals in The Unicorn Herd, so I kind of liked reading about the very beginning of all of this.

The Griffin Mission also gave more context to the world building of the Griffin Sanctuary. I thought it was a world that was nestled just beneath our own and existed side by side – because most of the fantasy genred books I read tend to do this. Instead, it’s actually based in a parallel world. One that works much like ours, but with some differences. I actually quite enjoyed the way in which this worked. Plus, the idea of portals between worlds and the fact that there are those who just stumble onto them sometimes.

Alongside the cute little romance and world building, I mostly just loved the idea of griffins. I love how Tape has taken a paranormal creature that pops up into a lot of stories and just kind of expanded on them. Like all animals, she’s given them different species and subspecies. Each with their own unique challenges and needs. Something that was ridiculously cute and adorable, plus, it made the whole idea of a paranormal sanctuary even more appealing. And now I can’t wait to read more of this series again.

Image source: eBay