Kate’s Review: “A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery”

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Book: “A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #5)” by Kate Khavari

Publishing Info: Crooked Lane Books, June 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publicist

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Saffron Everleigh is newly engaged and full of optimism as she sets off on the adventure of a lifetime for any a research expedition. She sails to newly formed Turkey, with her fiancé, Alexander Ashton, and a bevy of fellow researchers under the watchful and reformed eye of Dr. Henry. With only two other women on board, Saffron soon finds she is right back in the same infuriatingly misogynistic environment that marked the earliest days of her career. Only this time, Saffron is determined to show everyone, including Alexander, that she can handle the trials of an expedition.

And trials she has in spades. Before the expedition team has even arrived, Saffron has managed to find an enemy in historian Joseph Clark, who frequently torments the assistant that Saffron has taken under her wing, Martin Neill. But when Martin unexpectedly dies, Saffron is targeted as the main suspect.

Falling ruins, venomous snakes, and mysteriously blocked passages are the least of Saffron’s worries. With unexpected help from a familiar face, Alexander and Saffron have to work fast to prove not only that Saffron is innocent, but that they both have nothing to do with a larger conspiracy at play among the expedition crew.

Review: Thank you to Kaye Publicity for sending me an ARC of this novel!

After doing a quick catch up on the Saffron Everleigh Mysteries thanks to my local library, it was finally time to pick up the most recent in the series! I was admittedly a bit underwhelmed by the previous book, as I felt like we were treading into a territory that has been WELL established in other mystery tropes (the enigmatic evil rival), but the good news is that Kate Khavari’s “A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery” has decided to go down a different path, at least for now, and it has served as a real palate cleanser!

I’m happy to report that after a lackluster entry last time, at least for me, we have returned to form with Saffron and her adventures as a botanist who also happens to solve crimes using her scientific knowledge and wits. This time Saffron is in Turkey on a expedition with her fiancé Alexander Ashton, and other colleagues, and finds herself not only in treacherous working conditions, but also the prime suspect when one of her colleagues dies of poisoning. The downsides of this book are that Elizabeth is no where to be seen since she wouldn’t be on an expedition, and Lee is also MIA (I really hope he does come back at some point), but the up sides are that Saffron gets to do more work with poison again, AND, amazingly, I actually found myself warming up to Alexander in this book as he hopes to help clear his fiancée’s name. Also having Saffron the prime suspect and being held in a foreign jail certainly ups the stakes, and the mystery itself has some great beats to it and built the suspense in a well done way.

I also loved that there was a complete shift in scenery in this book, as Saffron and Alexander are on an expedition to the newly formed/sovereign Turkey! We have seen Saffron do so much scientific work in London or England proper, but seeing her finally get to go on an expedition was such a breath of fresh air. Especially since we get some interesting historical information about Turkey during this time period as well as archaeology and archeological sites and excavation. My friend David does similar excavation work in Greece at agoras and seeing this kind of thing in this book was a lot of fun. It’s also a pretty candid tale about the way that women in the sciences were treated during this time, especially on an all male expedition, and Saffron has to deal with a lot of misogyny from the other men on the team and has to prove herself above and beyond because of it.

“A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery” is a fun historical mystery! I can’t wait to see where Saffron goes next!

Rating 8: A return to form with a new setting and some new poisons, “A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery” is a fun new entry in the Saffron Everleigh mysteries.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Best Historical Fiction Mysteries”.

Previously Reviewed:

Serena’s Review: “Hopeless Necromantic”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Hopeless Necromantic” by Shiloh Briar

Publishing Info: Orbit, June 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Four years ago, Sikras ‘Catseye’ Nikabod had it all: a beautiful wife, friends and family, and the endless luxuries that came with being the all-powerful necromancer to the queen.

Now, his brother-in-law is a walking corpse, he’s wanted for tax evasion, his oldest friend, Vessik, has slaughtered thousands of the queen’s people with a skeleton army, and his wife is dead. Sort of.

With the kingdom under threat, it’s only natural for the queen to task Sikras with the totally normal, not-at-all-cruel chore of brutally murdering his dearest friend. Sure. Great. It’s not like he already failed to stop Vessik’s reign of terror twice or anything.

Turns out, it’s hard to kill a monster when you can’t stop remembering the good man he used to be. Harder still when you’re pretty sure his descent into madness is kind of, sort of, hypothetically … all your fault.

Raise a glass. Raise the dead. Just don’t raise your hopes.

Review:Honestly, I went into this one with a bit of worry. I’ve had bad luck with cozy fantasy and have realized that I’m pretty picky about the subgenre in general. And that cover, while cute, was going hard on the sort of “aggressively quirky” coziness that I particularly struggle with. Well, let this be another case for not judging a book by its cover! Because while this was a cozy fantasy at its heart, it was also much more than that, with smart writing, heartbreaking themes, and layered characters. It also didn’t hurt that this had strong D&D references and, similarly, strong Baldur’s Gate 3 similarities. For those who know, you can’t look at that cover and not see Astarion and Karlach, right??

One of my struggle points with cozy fantasy often comes down to pacing and plotting. I don’t love “day in the life” stories and need a bit more action to get me through. And this one had it in spades! It’s a simple enough plot, full of questing and action-packed battles, but the author perfectly breaks up these faster-paced bits with careful character work. From start to finish, the storyline was compelling, and I blitzed through the entire book without any lulls in interest.

While the action scenes and magical fighting were great, the story really lives and dies based on the strength of its two main characters, Sikras and Helspira. I was honestly surprised by just how heart-wrenching many of the themes explored in this story would be. The cover and general description led me to believe it would be mostly a rom-com-type affair. And it does have that, but oof, does it get into some heavy topics as well. Helspira’s is the smaller arc of the two, focused on her fight to create a new home for her family and herself, all while fighting against her own demonic tendencies. In many ways, hers is a story of immigration and the challenges and joys of coming to love your new homeland, even while others still see you as a foreigner.

But Sikras’s story is where the story really shone. Throughout the book, Sikras’s arc is focused on the complex nature of grief, loneliness, and love beyond the grave. Yes, it’s all tied up in the humorous trappings of a walking, talking skeleton, but it becomes clear quite early on that this comedic setup only masks the depths below. Sikras’s past is rife with grief and loss, and all of these connections presented grief in its different stages, from denial, to bargaining, to anger. And while one of them is the death of his wife years ago, I was impressed that this relationship was by no means the one given the most emphasis in the story. It’s clear that Sikras loved and grieved his wife, but we’ve also read that story a million times. Instead, the author wisely shifted the focus to different relationships: that between childhood friends and even between Sikras and his now-skeleton brother-in-law, the most unlikely of relationships I think we’d usually see in a book like this! Without overbalancing the story into an overall darker tone, these themes were explored so well that there may have been tears.

At the same time, I definitely laughed out loud a few times as well! I’m also pretty picky about humor, but this one definitely nailed it for me. Sikras was hilarious, and his interactions with Helspira, especially early in the book, were pitch-perfect.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read! It was a fun, fast story that hid within it a surprising well of deeper themes. If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy that doesn’t hold back on the plot, definitely give this one a go!

Rating 8: If D&D, Baldur’s Gate 3, and perhaps a grief counselor’s handbook (??) had a child, this fantasy rom-com would be where you end up! What a blast!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Hopeless Necromantic” isn’t currently on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Cozier Fantasy Romance Palate Cleansers.

Kate’s Review: “Headlights”

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Book: “Headlights” by C.J. Leede

Publishing Info: Tor Nightfire, June 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Every instinct tells him to run. Every memory tells him he can’t.

Special Agent Daniel Stansfield is ready for a change. Burnt out and defeated by the job, it’s his last day with the FBI. But before he can turn in his badge, he’s summoned back to Denver, the city he ran from four years ago, with a chilling message: it’s happening again.

Seemingly innocent people are waking up on the side of the highway, with no memory of how they got there, wearing the skin of victims they’ve allegedly never met. And they each share one haunting detail: a strand of a stranger’s hair is tied around their tongue.

Now Daniel is pulled back into the gruesome cycle, and every clue leads him deeper into the shadows of his own past. He will have to confront the ghosts of his traumatic childhood and face what’s been hunting him all along— before he and the people he loves become the next victims.

Perfect for fans of The Shining and Longlegs, bestselling author CJ Leede’s Headlights is a pulse-pounding hunt across the frozen wilderness of Colorado.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this novel!

I so greatly enjoyed C.J. Leede’s previous horror novel “American Rapture” that it was basically a no brainer to pick up whatever she came up with next, and that is how “Headlights” ended up on my radar. I was so thoroughly blown away by what Leede did with a plague/end of world tale that I had high hopes for what could and would be done with a serial killer horror tale that no doubt had some kind of supernatural twist. I went in expecting one thing but ended up with something a little bit different. And that wasn’t a bad thing.

The horror elements of this book harken to some classic horror fare like “The Shining” while also pulling in some hard boiled detective vibes a la “True Detective”. Our protagonist Daniel is an exhausted and burnt out FBI agent who has been haunted by a gruesome set of killings where seemingly random people murder and skin someone, then wear their victim’s skin and wake up with no memory of the act as well as with hair wrapped around their tongue. It’s haunting because there has always been a weird connection Daniel has, but he’s never been able to solve it. Once it starts happening again just as he’s about to re-enlist in the military, it all spirals out of control and Daniel is having visions, being drawn to one of the women left behind, and watching his life fall apart as he tries to solve it. It’s a story that has a bit of a slow start, but once gears shift for Daniel and he finds himself on the run across Colorado and looking for answers it keeps the interest and pace up. The horror parts are gory and nasty and Leede doesn’t feel a need to hold back, and the mythos at the heart of it felt pretty creative and original (I’m being vague for a reason, I want to keep any spoilers to a minimum).

This is also another pretty solid entry into trauma and grief as horror, with Daniel being a character who is easy to root for in part because of all of the loss he has dealt with his entire life. Whether it’s his mother’s death at the hands of his father, or the loss of his loving and doting foster parents, or the way that his marriage to wife Josie has fallen apart, Daniel’s losses are great and he keeps being run through a ringer. It’s also an interesting examination of not just Daniel but also Hannah, the woman he is drawn to even though she may be a piece in the serial killing puzzle, and their connection and grief and traumatic pasts make for an interesting dichotomy as the story goes on.

And what I found most charming and just had to comment on here is what a lovely love letter this book is to Colorado. I’m someone who has very vague ties to Colorado, as the connection is my husband who spent some time there as a teenager and found it incredibly formative. I’ve traveled to Colorado with him and seen the joy that the state brings him, and have found similar joy being in Leadville, and Estes Park, and Denver. There truly is something magical about the state, and the way that Leede highlights so many aspects of it, whether a trip to the Stanley Hotel or descriptions of the winter settings or Blucifer the horse or the lore referencing “The Shining”. It feels like Colorado is a character in and of itself and has a grounding part to play. As someone with fond memories walking around the Stanley grounds and looking out our window to see mountains, or smoking weed around a bonfire in Leadville and talking about a mish mash of topics, these moments really spoke to me.

“Headlights” is a creative and disturbing horror tale that kept me guessing. If you are a horror fan and find yourself on the way to Colorado soon, it could be a fun read to accompany the trip.

Rating 7: The pacing was a little slow at times, but not only is it a unique serial killer horror mystery, it’s also a love letter to Colorado that made me smile throughout the story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Headlights” is included on the Goodreads list “Horror to Look Forward to in 2026”.

Book Club Review: “The Wizard of Earthsea”

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We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again pulling random words from a hat and finding a book that matches the prompts. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “A Wizard of Earthsea” by Urula K. Le Guin

Publishing Info: Parnassus Press, November 1968

Where Did We Get This Book: from the library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Prompt Word: Ocean

Book Description: Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth.

Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death’s threshold to restore the balance.

Kate’s Thoughts

I’ve had a copy of “A Wizard of Earthsea” in my collection since I was a teenager, but I never actually read it until it was time for this book club. I’ve mentioned it many times but I’ve come to realize over the years that swords and sorcery fantasy as a genre/sub-genre doesn’t really appeal to me outside of Tolkien’s works and a few other exceptions (hellooooo “The Neverending Story”!). But given that I know that Ursula K. Le Guin is a formative and important voice in fantasy fiction, I went in with an open mind.

There were definitely aspects I liked of this book! I really enjoyed that Ged’s story is kind of a selection of significant vignettes during his training as a wizard, ranging from his first time encountering magic to his schooling to actually being out in the world and applying it. I enjoyed a few of the stories more than others (I always love a dragon!), but overall I thought it was kind of a nice slice of life story while also building up a cohesive world.

But at the end of the day, I’m still not really into sword and sorcery fantasy and “A Wizard of Earthsea” didn’t really break outside those constraints like other fantasy stories. I absolutely see why this is one of the books that had a huge influence on the fantasy genre as we see it now, especially for kids and teens, and my hat goes off to Le Guin for creating a story on her own terms that has endured for so long. It’s still just not really my thing.

I’m glad that I finally read my old copy of “A Wizard of Earthsea”. Book club continues to help me go outside my usual reading bounds, and I’m happy I did so this time, even if it wasn’t a favorite read.

Serena’s Thoughts

My parents read this to my sister and me when we were little, but we must have been super little, because I only had the vaguest memories of something to do with a shadow monster and lots of sailing. And, as far as it goes, that all checks out here! But I was glad to have an excuse to return to this book, as it’s a cornerstone text in YA fantasy fiction, and now I have a much better reading experience to pull from when thinking about it and its influence on modern fantasy fiction.

I really enjoyed this read! As did my kids, who listened to the audiobook to and from school this last month (I highly recommend the audiobook, as an aside). It was easy to see both its influences (Tolkien) and the ways in which it influenced titles that followed it (magical schools, a hero’s journey where the villain is a version of yourself, etc.). And for being an older title, it remains completely approachable for fantasy readers today.

It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what it is, but there’s a certain fantasy style that one associates with Tolkien and other older fantasy fiction, and Le Guin perfectly captures that here. It’s something like a combination of lyrical language, epic, sweeping worlds, and an almost fairytale-like approach to storytelling where the larger narrative is broken up into smaller, shorter adventures along the way.

I also really enjoyed the magic system and thought this was another area where we see this book’s influence carry on. While the concept of “true names” is a staple in fairytales (think “Rumpelstiltskin” and the like), here Le Guin takes that concept and builds a much more elaborate magic system. It was both beautiful and intimidating all at once, making it clear why wizards would be as revered as they are after the years of study it would take to even scratch the surface of this magic.

Overall, I thought this was a lovely fantasy novel, and it’s easy to see why it continues to show up on lists of best fantasy books many years after its original publication.

Kate’s Rating 6 : I understand why this is a formative fantasy book and really liked having a new fantasy text to add to my knowledge, but it’s still within a genre that I don’t tend to connect with as much.

Serena’s Rating 8: A beautiful fantasy novel that will appeal to almost every age of reader, from children, to teens, to adult fantasy lovers!

Book Club Questions

  1. What influences on modern fantasy do you see in this book?
  2. Why do you think names, the power of a true name, and naming conventions were so important in this book?
  3. What did you think of Le Guin’s choices when it comes to race and identity in this book?
  4. What were your thoughts on the way women were portrayed in this book?
  5. What did you think of the ending of this book and how the climax wrapped up? Do you think a battle would have been more effective? Why or why not?
  6. Do you think you will keep reading the Earthsea books?

Reader’s Advisory

“A Wizard of Earthsea” is included on the Goodreads lists: Visionary & Metaphysical Fiction and Time Magazine Best YA Books of All Time 2021

Next Book Club Pick: “Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales” by Melanie Gillman

Serena’s Review: “A Dark and Wild Wood”

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Book: “A Dark and Wild Wood” by Sarah Nicole Lemon

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, May 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Ever since she was a child, Salomé has been plagued by visions of spirits and dangerous powers she can’t control. After watching her foster mother burn as a witch, she and her beloved sister Rochelle are raised together in a convent, a grim and dreary existence. Until one day, Rochelle vanishes.

Determined to find a way to save her, Salomé runs: first to a brothel, and then, after a terrible accident, away from the village and into the woods. Deep amongst the trees of the wild Black Forest, she comes face-to-face with Lord Death.

Rather than taking her life, he brings her to his home at the heart of the woods, a strange manor full of locked rooms and mysterious corridors, crumbling one moment, magnificent the next. He promises to make her his apprentice and teach her how to harness her mind and magic. His words are as seductive as his presence—but should one trust Death?

A swirling mirage of dark fairy tale, gothic romance, and historical fantasy, A Dark and Wild Wood is a novel best devoured all at once. But proceed with caution, as everything is not what it seems…

Review: So, unfortunately, I think we’re running headfirst into another case of a book being poorly marketed right from the top. Whether marketers were trend-chasing or honestly didn’t consider the differences, this book says right there in the summary that this is a gothic romance. And oh boy, it is not. (To be fair, it seems that the author has been clear that this is not a romance, but it’s too bad that they seem to be putting forward a message that is now at odds with their own publisher’s summary.)

Yes, there is a “romance,” but there is a gaping gulf between books that have romance elements and books that are “romances,” gothic or otherwise. The latter has many conventions that are expected, such as happy endings, relationships that readers root for, etc. The former can be found in all kinds of different books (horror, thriller, fantasy, etc.), and there’s no guarantee that the romance is even a good thing at all. And the latter is definitely the case here. And that’s fine! But unfortunately, when the book puts itself forward as a “gothic romance,” I feel like a lot of readers are going to pick this one up and be massively disappointed by what they find.

That aside, once I settled into the sort of book I was reading, there were elements that I enjoyed. While the pacing was a bit all over the place (slow at the beginning, only to pick up speed later in the story), it did work with the sort of gothic fairytale that was being spun here. In this way, the comparisons to “Bluebeard,” a deeply disturbing fairytale in its own right, are much more apt for this book. Fairytales often start from the very beginning, and such is the case here, starting with the birth of our main character. The writing itself was also often beautiful and further established the dark fairytale tone of the overall story.

I was more conflicted about the characters themselves. As I mentioned, this is not a romance in any way, mostly because the relationship itself is deeply unhealthy and abusive, and Death is not a hero, romantic or otherwise. Given the “Bluebeard” comparisons, it’s clear that you are not meant to root for this relationship or like Death at all. However, I also struggled with Salome. At best, she was incredibly naive, but at worst, the reader was never given enough information to truly understand the connection she felt with Death or why she craved that relationship in the way that she did. On one hand, abusive relationships are never understandable to outsiders looking in. But on the other, I do think more could have been done to show Salome’s twisted understanding of this relationship and her own manipulated feelings.

Further, I think the actual fantasy elements and magic system were interesting but not fully explored. I kept wanting just a bit more from this aspect of the story.

Overall, this book showed a lot of potential on the part of the author, but it just wasn’t quite as polished as I would have liked with its characterization of the main character and some of its fantasy elements. I think the writing itself was quite strong, and the primary missteps come down to the way the book has been presented. If readers go in with the understanding that they are reading a gothic dark fantasy novel first and foremost, I think they are much more likely to enjoy what they find here.

Rating 7: While not a romance story in any way, the writing had some beautiful moments. I only wish the main character was a bit more fleshed out.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Dark and Wild Wood” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Bluebeard Retellings and 2026 Gothic.

Kate’s Review: “You First”

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Book: “You First” by Caroline Kepnes

Publishing Info: Random House, June 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Joe Goldberg is ready for his life to start. He’s seventeen years old, working in Mr. Mooney’s bookshop, falling in love with every girl on the subway all while wondering who will be the one. He knows what he needs: A woman who will force him to get his GED, go to night school, and make something of himself. But who would ever fall in love with him?

Then he spots it: MISSED CONNECTION, NYC Bookstore Babe.

Someone is looking for Joe. And that someone is Vail Gunderson, a production assistant with a passion for rom-coms. The only catch: she’s twenty-four, which means that Joe has no choice but to lie about his age…and, naturally, nearly everything else in his life. Joe thinks he’s found true love, but when Vail needs more convincing that Joe is her happily ever after, he’s determined to convince her…no matter what it takes…

With her incisive and darkly comedic prose, Caroline Kepnes captures Joe poised on the edge of manhood, entering the vicious, dog-eat-dog New York dating scene for the very first time, and buffeted by forces that will determine what kind of man he will become—and how he will write his own twisted love story.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

It’s been a couple of years since we last saw stalker super creep Joe Goldberg in book form. His show on Netflix had its run and finale, and I was pretty satisfied with how it all shook out, but it’s been since his time in “For You and Only You” that we’ve seen him on the page. And he’s very different on the page. I will admit that after time passed and I was cycling through my insomnia listens of his books, that previous book was the one I revisited the least, and I was a bit worried that it was the end of his story. When it was announced we were getting a fifth book I was excited. When I saw it was going to be a prequel instead of a sequel I was…. apprehensive. What could teenage Joe tell us that we don’t already know about him? Was it going to be a little bit of a retcon that upends the canon? I didn’t really need to be nervous, because Caroline Kepnes’s “You First”, while a shift in the timeline, is still entertaining and a solidly ‘Joe’ story, giving us a glimpse into what made him Joe, terrible personality and all. I’m still a okay with shitty villain protagonists and their gross twisted stories, and this one keeps it up!

Footage of me when I see people complaining about trash main characters doing obviously trash things in a thriller novel as if its an endorsement of trash. (source)

This is less of a thriller this time around just based on the fact that TECHNICALLY Joe doesn’t really start getting fully into his murderous ways until AFTER this point in the timeline just based on what happens in the other books in the series (there is a little bit of wiggle room here, just to note), and more of a character study set in a historical fiction genre (oh GOD, the early aughts are now historical fiction, I’m Joe’s age and this makes me feel OLD). We meet Joe when he’s seventeen, working at Mooney’s Books (hooray for the return of Mr. Mooney!), and the entire city is still dealing with 9/11, which only happened a few months earlier. He’s hyper-focusing on the Internet and Missed Connection ads, and through his he meets Vail, a twenty four year old woman who works on the “Sex and the City” set. Vail is the blueprint for his future obsessions, and she is neurotic, self absorbed, and flitty. But this is through the eyes of seventeen year old Joe, who has basically been abandoned by his parents, left to his own devices with the occasional support from the weird and abusive Mr. Mooney, and we see how his experiences are, indeed, warping his sense of love and connection. This may sound like it’s getting into excuse territory, but I don’t feel like it is for the most part. Something that does have to be kept in mind is that he is still, technically, a kid here, and it’s an interesting trajectory to see his obsession form and how it stays with him from here on out. Especially since everyone else in this book that influences and interacts with and affects him is a full on adult. It explains a lot. And he does sound like a nervous teenager in his inner monologue with insecurities that feel familiar, even if they are dark and fucked up. It’s a twisted coming of age story to be sure.

Kepnes still keeps the weird dark humor and the seediness of the other books in this one! That is part of the reason I love these books so much, just how damn funny Joe can be and how skeevy they can make me feel as I read them. It’s a little harder to swallow at times in this book given that Joe is only seventeen, and Kepnes does tread a fine line with some of the sexual situations in this book between him and Vail, but it’s far more restrained than previous books. We are seeing similar patterns with bad people being bad to each other, and it’s getting a LITTLE repetitive, but it didn’t drag it down too much. Vail is grating but she’s supposed to be, but she also captures that wannabe Carrie Bradshaw NYC delusion that I remember well from being a high schooler and young adult from this time period (I remember binging “Sex and the City” with my roommate and being so insulted she thought I was a Charlotte even though now I’m like ‘yeah probably, but without the WASP-iness’). It has the vibes I look for in these books. But I do wonder how much longer they can be sustained.

I am curious to know where Joe is going from here. “You First” gives us a backstory, and I wonder if it is telegraphs what is next for the character. I’m still fully on board to go on whatever ride Kepnes wants to make me on with this character, and his lore has expanded in a way that worked for me.

Rating 8: Teenager Joe Goldberg as a concept gave me a little pause, but the execution was pretty well done and the outcome was seedy, twisted, and exactly what I’ve come to expect from Joe, even as a teenager.

Reader’s Advisory:

“You First” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it would fit in on “I’ll Be Watching You”.

Serena’s Review: “The Unicorn Hunters”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Unicorn Hunters” by Katherine Arden

Publishing Info: Del Rey, June 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Anne of Brittany was a child when her realm was invaded, her home besieged, and her royal father driven to his death.

Now her treasury is empty, her land occupied by her enemies, and she is ordered, under threat of renewed war, to become queen of her conquerors and marry the King of France. This marriage means her country’s annexation. But Anne promised her father that Brittany would never be conquered.

Defiantly, she betroths herself in secret to France’s greatest enemy. But in a world where courts may spy on each other by magic, there is only one way to solemnize this illicit union.

Anne takes her court deep into a legendary forest, where the court diviners’ skill cannot reach. The world thinks they are only a hunting party, coursing after unicorns. But that is a lie, a trick, a feint. No one in living memory has seen a unicorn. All Anne wants is this secret wedding, which is her only hope of salvation.

But when against all hope a unicorn appears and a stranger out of legend stumbles from the trees and falls at her feet, Anne is plunged into a world of enchantment where a doomed sovereign might find the power to change her own and her country’s destiny—or be lost in the shadows forever.

Review: It was never in doubt that I was going to absolutely love this book. I’ve adored everything I’ve read by this author, and this was more of the same. From the excellent and seamless blending of historical fiction and fantasy fairytale, to the impeccable writing, to the strong character who serves as the heart of the tale, this was fantastic from start to finish.

One thing that stood out as particularly impressive is the aforementioned blending of genres. Change a few plot points here and there, and this could have read as a straight historical fiction novel focused on the life of the real woman and queen, Anne. I only knew a few vague bits and pieces of her story, so the author’s note at the end was immensely helpful in contextualizing the story. From that and my brief further research, Arden has done an incredible job both capturing the draw and charisma of Anne, but also imagining a new future for her, one where a woman can reclaim her own power outside of her ability to produce heirs.

Anne was powerful, but in unique ways. Yes, there are magical elements, but the story goes to great lengths to establish her true power as her ability to draw people to her, to gain loyalty, to persuade, and to trick when necessary. Of course, I loved the flashy fantasy moments, but these quieter strengths were the true heart of the character and what made me so eager to continue following her along her journey.

Beyond reimagining true events and characters, Arden manages to capture a style of writing and speaking that feels true to its time. This reads like a medieval fairytale first and foremost. There are moments in the dialogue that are very distinct in how far they are from the modern English that we speak today, from the use of turns of phrase no longer seen to simply the order of word choice. In this way, the story always felt grounded in its time and place, and I can’t emphasize enough just how impressed I was by the author’s strong hold on her craft and tone throughout.

Beyond Anne, there’s a full cast of compelling side characters, from the spunky younger sister, to the crafty street kid, to the mysterious stranger who comes among Anne and her court bringing dark magic alongside him. There was also a lovely romantic subplot that I adored. There was just the right balance placed on this love story where it felt fully formed but didn’t detract from the primary tale, that of Anne and the mystery of the unicorn.

The fantasy portion of the story was also directly up my alley. This is very much a medieval fairytale, and I loved every minute of it. There was darkness woven in and among the beauty, tragedy alongside the wonder, and I blazed through the final quarter of the book when this element really came to the forefront.

So, yes, if you couldn’t tell by now, this was a “10”-rated read for me. Arden had already cemented herself as a must-buy author, but this one really stood out. The “Winternight” trilogy is amazing, but there’s something special about a standalone novel that feels as tightly put together as this one: no missteps, nothing missing, just perfection from start to finish.

Rating 10: Absolutely brilliant! Arden’s beautiful, lyrical writing captures the deep peace of the unicorn, the terrifying shadows of the dark forest, and the endless well of strength found in one woman who sets out to change her fate.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Unicorn Hunters” can be found on these Goodreads lists:Most Anticipated Adult Fantasy & Sci-fi of 2026 (Standalones & New Series) and My favorite Medieval Fantasy novels.

Kate’s Review: “It Came from Neverland”

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Book: “It Came from Neverland” by Cynthia Pelayo

Publishing Info: Crooked Lane Books, June 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publicist

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Peter Pan meets Stephen King’s It in this twisted horror retelling of a classic childhood fairytale set during WWI.

1914, Wendy Darling works by day as a school teacher and by night, she assists soldiers who have returned home from the Western Front. There is one mysterious patient who despite all the care they’ve given him, is in a deep sleep, unable to wake up. One night, when he murmurs the words “Peter Pan,” Wendy is thrown back to a darker time, one that she wishes she could forget.

When one of her students goes missing, it brings back memories of when children went missing and were later found murdered in London many years ago. Wendy believes that Peter Pan, the entity that she believed killed those children, is back. She and her brothers had a close encounter with Peter Pan, after all. But her brothers only remember Peter Pan and Neverland as a fantasy of childhood games.

When another child goes missing and signs start to point to Wendy, Scotland Yard digs into old reports, finding that Wendy knew the names of all the children who had been killed. As Wendy tries to prove her innocence, she also has to find a way to stop Peter Pan once and for all.

Review: Thank you to Kaye Publicity for sending me an ARC of this novel!

I’ve never been SUPER connected to the “Peter Pan” story. I definitely had the Disney version on VHS as a child, as well as the Mary Martin version (which I actually preferred), and I definitely liked “Hook” (and own it to this day). But the story itself isn’t really precious to me. But I AM someone who loves a dark retelling of a classic story, especially if there is a horror twist, and I have LOVED basically everything I’ve read by Cynthia Pelayo. So “It Came from Neverland”, her newest horror novel, made perfect sense as a highly anticipated novel this year for me. Especially since this one promised to center Wendy. Even if it sounded like Wendy was going to be put through hell.

Even if the story never really resonated, I always loved Wendy. (source)

One of the things that I love most about Cynthia Pelayo’s horror stories is that while they are always genuinely creepy, there is also almost always a dreamlike quality to them, and that translates very well to her take on Peter Pan and Neverland. Taking place in WW1 London, Wendy Darling is all grown up, living as a school teacher while also spending time volunteering at a hospital to read to wounded soldiers. As a child she and her brothers were taken to a strange place called Neverland by a strange boy named Peter who couldn’t grow up and promised a fun life with other children, but was in actuality manipulating all of them and killing them to keep his power. Wendy and her brothers escaped, but she has been living with the trauma years later even as the world has learned the story as a fantasy tale of joy and imagination. Pelayo does a fantastic job of incorporating the original story that is filled with magic and whimsy and twisting it into something more sinister, while also taking inspiration from faerie stories and mythology. There has certainly been a more recent take on Peter Pan tales that paint him as less mischievous and more monstrous, but Pelayo’s feels unique in that it’s a bit more sinister fairy and Pennywise-esque. Because of this reimagining it completely reframes the entirety of Neverland, but Pelayo is really skilled at reframing it while still making it feel like it COULD be a place that J.M. Barrie could water down to make more family friendly. Peter in this is terrifying and creepy, but still feels like it could be connected to Barrie’s creation just through how Pelayo brings in references and tweaks them just a little. We still have lost boys, who are kidnapped children that Wendy wants to protect while Peter harms them to manipulate her. We still have the idea of Peter’s shadow, making it more of thing that can be used to connect to others to create a bond that makes an abuser hold onto a victim. But my favorite was the reimagining of Captain Hook, as instead of a foppish pirate who is constantly undermined by the mischievous Peter, we have a man who has had so much taken from him because of this nasty entity that harms everything it comes in contact with.

But my favorite element, which is unsurpising, is Wendy herself, as Pelayo has perfectly expanded upon her to explore her as a trauma survivor who was so connected to Peter, only to realize he only meant harm to her and everyone else. I really enjoyed the flashbacks to see how it affected her mental state, and how that in turn affected her relationships with Michael and John, who also experienced it but were more able to convince themselves it never happened. Wendy is still the caring girl who wants to care for and help others, and by making it a strength instead of the obligation we kind of get in the source material (Wendy is really only there because as a girl she HAS to be a mother figure) it shows how much more powerful she is, even if she is still quite damaged. I also loved that she is not only helping literal children as she teaches them, but that she is also helping wounded soldiers back from the Western Front, as so many soldiers were teenagers and children in their own right (the WWI setting was such a great idea in and of itself and it really resonated with this part of the plot). I also appreciated that so much of the horror of Peter and his monstrous ways were entangled with Wendy’s trauma, as he was SO scary and seeing her gather the strength and courage to stop him once and for all made for a very satisfying horror plot.

“It Came from Neverland” was everything I was hoping it would be! Pelayo is so talented as creating dreamy and spooky horror stories, and I recommend it to both those who love “Peter Pan” and those who just love a horror tale littered with well crafted symbolism and metaphors.

Rating 9: A haunting and eerie re-imagining of “Peter Pan”, which focuses on trauma, grief, loss, and overcoming a childhood stolen and an alternate truth to a beloved classic.

Reader’s Advisory:

“It Came from Neverland” is included on the Goodreads lists “Peter Pan Re-Tellings”, and “Horror to Look Forward To in 2026”.

Highlights: June 2026

Well, forget spring, we’re straight into summer! At least if the last week of May has anything to say about it! While the extra sunshine and daylight is great, the return of the heat and humidity is…less so. Ah well! At least we have ALA at the end of the month. We also have a bunch of new titles to look forward to reading from the shade or, more realistically, the air-conditioned home.

Serena’s Picks

Book: “The Unicorn Hunters” by Katherine Arden

Publication Date: June 2, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Arden is a must-read author for me, so naturally this is at the top of my list. Beyond the fact that she’s such a talented author and could probably make any story work, this one sounds particularly up my alley! A historical fairytale that re-imagines the life of Anne of Brittany. Dark forests, mysterious magic, and what sounds like a solid romantic subplot! I can’t wait to check this one out! Plus, this cover is absolutely hitting it out of the park!

Book: “The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield” by Claudia Gray

Publication Date: June 16, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Every spring I get excited for the next entry into the “Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney” mystery series by Claudia Gray. There hasn’t been a singled misstep so far! I’m, of course, excited to see how the slowburn romance between our two main characters will progress, but I’m also excited with the new location and cast of characters we’re going to see in this one! Give me more Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet any day of the week! I can’t imagine two people less able to manage needing to be suspicious of house guests as potential murderers! Jane would simply say there must have been a terrible misunderstanding somewhere and no one is actually murdered! I can’t wait for this!

Book: “Endless Blue Beneath” by Shannon K. English

Publication Date: June 9, 2026

Why I’m Interested: There have been some great mermaid stories recently, not least our recent book club book, “When the Tides Held the Moon.” So of course I was going to jump at the chance to now read a sapphic version of mermaids! The story follows a young woman who is shunned on land, only to find a new family and world deep beneath the sea. And, of course, a mysterious love interest. Plus, again, the cover art on this one is just amazing!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “You First” by Caroline Kepnes

Publication Date: June 9, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I am ALWAYS going to be interested in a Joe Goldberg story, I don’t care how creepy and terrible he is. And the wait for a new one is finally over as Caroline Kepnes is back with a new Joe book, this time taking us back in time to when he was a teenager! And to the first time he had a transformational obsession, I mean romance. Seventeen year old Joe meets Vail, an older woman who comes into Moody’s Books and sweeps Joe off his feet. Everyone has an origin story, even the stalker creeps, and seeing how Joe became Joe is sure to be a dark and sardonic ride.

Book: “It Came From Neverland” by Cynthia Pelayo

Publication Date: June 9, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I love Cynthia Pelayo’s dark fairy tale horror stories, and this time she is taking on a literary fantasy classic: Peter Pan! Wendy Darling is living in World War I London, teaching children and caring for wounded soldiers, and trying to forget how she and her brothers were lured away by a mysterious boy when they were children, only to find out that Neverland was a place where a monster lived. Now she is starting to see hints that Peter, the boy who stole her and other children, may be back to harm more kids. I love a dark retelling and Pelayo is always a macabre and emotional delight steeped in dreamy prose. This is sure to be a winner.

Book: “What Happened To Those Girls” by Carlyn Greenwald

Publication Date: June 30, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Mean girl antics meets “The Blair Witch Project”? Oh yes please! I love a soapy teen drama with girls being cruel to each other already, but when you throw in a horror twist it’s all the better. Emma is always the odd one out of her friend group, but it goes one step too far one night when her friends go on a camping trip that was her idea and leave her behind. But her friends are murdered on that trip, and Emma starts getting weird videos of the night they died. In order to clear her name, she teams up with one of the victim’s sister’s to discover who is behind it. I like mysteries too so it just sounds like a fun read all around.

What books are you reading this month? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Review: “Sisters of the Lizard”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Sisters of the Lizard” by Jackson Ford

Publishing Info: Orbit, May 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: All Sayana wanted was to enjoy her life in the rolling grasslands of the Tapestry. After she and her fellow Rakada managed to ride humongous fire-breathing lizards to face down the Great Khan’s army, they should have been able to kick back a little for once. Not too much to ask, right?

Instead, the Tapestry is in turmoil – invading armies threaten, the other raider clans are at war, and inside his fortress city of Karkorum, the Khan broods and plots. What’s more, the Rakada’s giant lizards are getting sick, and they have no idea how to cure them. If they die, there’s no telling what might happen to the Tapestry.

But then the Rakada receive a vision – apparently from the gods. A deep emerald pool surrounded by bone-white sands – one that may be able to heal their lizards. With no other option, the raiders set out on an epic quest across the mountains and into the desert.

But the danger that awaits them will be one greater than they’ve ever faced before. These guys really can’t catch a break.

Previously Reviewed: “The Bone Raiders”

Review: After really enjoying the first book in this series, this had a firm spot near the top of my TBR. And this sequel succeeded in the most basic sense: it was more of what I liked from the first book!

The first book introduced a wide cast of female characters, all with excellent and distinct personalities and inner arcs. Here, we got more of the same. While I like all of the main characters, I was especially excited to see that Hogelun moved more to the center stage of the story. She was probably my favorite character from the first book, the one with the most surprising personal story of the sort that we don’t often see in these sorts of stories. And here we see that arc continue even further as Hogelun is pushed to come more fully into her own. The lasting effects of her previous emotionally abusive relationship remain a challenge, and it was so satisfying watching Hogelun progress forward through her own struggles. And while this sounds like a lot of slow, introspective work, the author manages to explore these deeper psychological moments all while making his characters fight on the back of giant lizards!

Sayana’s story also went in a surprising direction. Her story was built more around the fears and challenges the Bone Raiders face in this book, some of which are truly tragic. There was also a stronger emphasis on the religion and lore of this world that was brought to the forefront in Sayana’s story, wrapping up in some fairly incredible twists and turns.

I also continued to be impressed by the author’s ability to merge an action-packed fantasy world alongside deeper themes of family, leadership, and loyalty. Like I said, there was definitely more tragedy in this book, and I definitely found myself tearing up at points. That said, I wouldn’t say it was a heavy read. The action was exciting and there was a humorous tinge to most of the writing.

My one qualm comes down to something that I praised in the first book. There, I enjoyed the fact that the author devoted so much page time to the villain of the story. The same approach was taken here, and while I did appreciate some insights into this character’s perspective, I also disliked them so strongly that I had a hard time wanting to spend any more time with them as the story continued, especially as I became more and more invested in the other storylines.

Overall, this was a fantastic sequel. It delivered on the same strengths in the first book and elevated the overall stakes of the world and story going forward. If you liked the first book or are looking for an action-packed fantasy series, I strongly recommend these books so far!

Rating 8: A bit darker than the first book, but “Sisters of the Lizard” was still a blast, full of action and fierce women!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Sisters of the Lizard” can be found on this Goodreads list: All the New Fantasy Books Arriving in May 2026