The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard
Oh, the Luminaries series, my beloved. I have been feral, waiting for the release of The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard, the final (for now?) installment in her paranormal YA series. So much was happening at all times and we learned more about the world, along with some extra background building. This was so close to perfect, stumbling just a little toward the end.
Dark Heart by Donna Grant
One of the things I love most about the Elven Kingdoms series is how the focus seems split equally between fantasy and romance. That is especially the case in Dark Heart by Donna Grant where our couple, Arya and Jai, spend the majority of the book apart. We get so much action and plot in this book […]
Between Dragons and their Wrath by Devin Madson
Between Dragons and their Wrath by Devin Madson is absolutely a book I would recommend to fantasy readers that prefer intrigue and worldbuilding with strong characters. The action is slow to build, but given this is the first book in a series, it is to be expected and still delivers an exciting story. Additionally, though I didn’t touch upon it earlier, there are queer characters which made me love this story even more! It was so good to see a spectrum of characters from caste to color to sexual identity. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book to come out!
Rising Sun by Donna Grant
I fell through a rabbit hole of clicking around, looking for something new to read when I found Rising Sun by Donna Grant. It had pretty good ratings, so I decided to pick up the audiobook to listen to at work. When I tell you that I’ve never been gladder to find a book at random! Narrator Shane East? To die for. The slow burn? Burned. This was just such a great romantasy!
Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber
I was super excited when I was offered a copy of Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber. Not only have I been wanting to read her work, but I am always looking for good gothic, vampire, latine fiction so to have all of that in one seemed like a great package deal. And it was, for the most part!
Monster’s Mate by Anne Hale and Celeste King
I saw Monster’s Mate by Anne Hale and Celeste King randomly while browsing for my next read and thought you know what? Why not! Why not pick this up since I typically need a no thought predictable fun book to read as a palate cleanser between ‘heavier’ things. I still want to get into monster romances despite that wild disappointment that was Honeysuckles by January Rayne and looking at the cover, I figured okay this’ll do! I picked up the audiobook and got straight to it. Unfortunately “it” was continued disappointment.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke was an absolutely rollercoaster ride of a book. I didn’t know what to expect when I began but was hooked instantly and as the mystery of the House, of Piranesi, and of the book itself began to unravel, so did my emotions. It is an absolutely beautiful story told from the point of view of a beautifully broken man.
Tidal Creatures by Seanan McGuire
Tidal Creatures by Seanan McGuire was one of the releases I was most excited to pick up this year. I loved and cried during the first book in this series, Middlegame. I loved and cried even more during the second book of the series, Seasonal Fears. I thought I would love and cry during this third installment. Instead, I was left disappointed. This is a book that feels like 464 pages worth of filler.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Magicians by Lev Grossman is a book that grows with you. Reading it as the age of the characters, you feel their strife. Reading it as an older person with more experience, you feel the heartbreak that you know is unavoidable because there is nothing to be done to avoid the sorrows that come with growing up. I wholeheartedly recommend this book but please understand, this isn’t a grown up or dark Harry Potter. It’s depression and yearning and growing pains that can’t be avoided with magic thrown in.
Jade City by Fonda Lee
I have danced around picking up Jade City by Fonda Lee since it was first released. I’ve heard the praise and it seemed interesting, but for whatever reason, I could not motivate myself to pick it up. I guess I was worried it would be some weird and boring fantasy with a stronger focus on martial arts over the intricacies I usually gravitate toward. Well, I can readily admit I was an idiot. This was absolutely amazing and mind-blowing. The politics involved rival A Song of Ice and Fire and the worldbuilding is astounding.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas
I put this off for years but finally grew curious enough to pick up A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas thinking surely it couldn’t be so bad. Well, as a fan of Nesta, it could be so bad. In fact, it could be worse.
The Jinn Daughter by Rania Hanna
“The Jinn Daughter” by Rania Hanna offers beautiful prose and captivating tales woven by the jinn Nadine. While heavy on exposition, it’s a unique narrative experience. Despite a faltering ending, the exploration of maternal sacrifice resonates deeply. A recommended read for those seeking literary richness and introspection on mother-daughter dynamics.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
I don’t know what I expected when I picked up The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, but I do know I was pleasantly surprised! I thought this would just be a cute and cozy magic realism book, but this was so much more! Off the bat, the romance was a little […]
Summer Knight by Jim Butcher
I think if you are starting to pick this series up in 2024 and have been on the fence, Summer Knight by Jim Butcher will likely put you off. If you’re willing to keep trudging through, I think it will pay off. Summer Knight definitely sets the stage for later books, so if you want to see this through to the end, you’ll definitely need to pick this one up.
Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire
Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire is not Middlegame. It follows a different story and gets to that ending through different means. I need you to understand that when you pick this up because I see so many others disappointed that it isn’t Middlegame. This is a story where you have the pieces and have to put the puzzle together before anyone else does. There’s loyalty and devotion, and what spoke most importantly of all to me, discovering the reality of free will and choice.