Month: August 2025

Serena’s Review: “A Forbidden Alchemy”

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Book: “A Forbidden Alchemy” by Stacey McEwan

Publishing Info: S&S/Saga Press, July 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley

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

Book Description: Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are twelve years old when they are whisked away from the shadows of their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to discover their magical potential. Those who pass Belavere’s test will become Artisans, wielders of powerful elemental magic destined to fulfill the city’s grand ambitions. For Nina, the Artisan School symbolizes a dream and an escape from her harsh reality, while Patrick yearns to return to his Craftsman family, whose extraordinary physical strength serves the idium mines keeping the city alive.

And then they uncover a devastating truth: Artisans aren’t born, they’re chosen. They part ways on very different paths, leaving them to carry the burden of this secret alone.

In the years that follow, a Craftsman revolution ignites, thrusting Nina and Patrick into opposing factions of a brewing war. Now an elite Artisan with the very rare talent for charming earth, Nina has turned her back on the fight, haunted by the loss of her found family. But fate intervenes when she is captured by Patrick’s rebel group. Despite the years and conflict that separates them, Patrick hasn’t forgotten Nina. He desperately seeks her help for a mission that could shift the tides against Belavere City. Reluctantly, she agrees, battling the sparks flying between them. But when Nina’s first love reappears, asking her to betray Patrick for the sake of the Artisans, Nina faces an impossible choice that could alter the fate of their world.

Review: This is the kind of book that has really stuck with me since reading it, both due to the aspects that I very much enjoyed, but also due to some points of frustration that I really can’t let go of!

Let’s start with the things that I enjoyed though. First and foremost, I’m a big fan of this author’s writing style. She’s incredibly “readable,” easily weaving together nuanced worlds, incredible characters, and a smooth style of writing that sucks me in and doesn’t let me go until its several hours later and I realize I haven’t eaten for a while. All of that was true here. I was immediately invested not only in our two main characters when we first meet them as children, but also with the stakes of this world and the building division and conflict between the workers who live out in the countryside and the magical elite who live in their, quite literal at times, ivory towers.

The magic system was fairly straight forward, and the kind of thing where it’s probably best to just take it as it comes. I did have a few questions about how some of this all worked (or how it had been allowed to work this way as smoothly as it had for so long), but I was happy enough with the action of the plot to let these little niggles go.

I think it’s also fair to say that this author knows how to write an excellent romantic arch. I’ve been loving second-chance/childhood friends romances, and this one works so well as it also dips its toes into the tried-and-true enemies-to-lovers trope as well. Yes, there is the barest hint of a love triangle, but as it is set up so obviously weighted in one direction, it didn’t bother me in the way that most love triangles did. I will say, I’m not quite convinced that this other character really served much of a purpose in being in this book past a certain point. Sometimes it felt like he was there just to build angst and push forward the main romantic couple’s interactions.

But when we were focused on this main couple, the swoon-worthy moments hit hard. Both main characters were at their best in the scenes between them, and the tension was built up nicely as they grew to better understand and trust one another. Perhaps if I had my way, I would have held off on them actually getting together until the next book. But hey, I know I’m in the romantasy-readers minority with my strong preference for true slow-burn love stories.

Now, my frustration came with regards to the over use of the miscommunication trope that played out strongly in the last half of this book. The conflict it set up fairly early (though we did run into the problem where we were in the head of Nina for much of this time and it made no sense for one of these “twists” to not be mentioned in her own thoughts), but the way it actually played out was incredibly frustrating. There was one particular scene where Nina pretty much lays it all out there. And then the book (and the characters!) act as if somehow she didn’t just give the entire gig away! There was such an incredibly obvious follow-up question that was just…ignored, for the sake of the plot. And even without asking it, an intelligent person (as the hero is set up to be) could easily make some deductive jumps that would explain the current situation. But nope. None of that happens and when the true conflict hits in the end…Shock! Horror! Betrayal! But…didn’t you guys already know all this basically?? I found it incredibly frustrating.

Overall, however, I enjoyed the main plot points and Nina and Patrick as individual characters and as a couple. While some of the twists towards the end were fairly predictable, I’m still excited to see where the story goes from here! I just may have to skip a few scenes where the characters deal with the stupidity of their own confusion and betrayal here…

Rating 8: A bit frustrating at times with the predictable build up to the ultimate reveal, but the world and characters were still strong and I’m excited for the next book!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Forbidden Alchemy” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Original Stories . . . a Breath of Fresh Air and Romantasy TBR 2025.

Kate’s Review: “The Possession of Alba Díaz”

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Book: “The Possession of Alba Díaz” by Isabel Cañas

Publishing Info: Berkley, August 2025

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

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

Book Description: When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust… from bestselling author Isabel Cañas.

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can’t help but notice her every time she enters a room or the growing tension between them… and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood grows stronger.

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

There are a few authors that when I see that they have a new book coming out I know it’s a must read. It spans across genres for me, and one of those authors is Isabel Cañas. She has written a haunted house story and a vampire story, both combined with a historical fiction setting in Mexico with some easy to root for romances to boot. Clearly when I saw she had a new book coming out, “The Possession of Alba Díaz”, I knew that I could probably expect those other two things along with a demonic possession backbone. Which was a okay by me, because she hasn’t let me down yet!

I really loved this book. I mean, I have basically loved all of Isabel Cañas’s books so it’s not a surprise. But as someone who doesn’t really care for possession horror, this one REALLY worked for me because Cañas thinks outside the box, which is exactly how I DO like possession horror. While it’s true that Alba is being victimized by a demon that has infiltrated her body and her consciousness, it is pretty clear as the story goes on that demons aren’t the biggest worries for a woman living in Mexico in the late 1700s, as there’s violent misogyny, a lack of any kind of self determination, and the horrors of the colonialism of Spain and the Catholic Church that prove to be far more pressing. I always appreciate it when historical stories in Latin America call out the horrors of the Spanish Conquest and the reverberations it had for the Indigenous groups that lived there before, and “The Possession of Alba Díaz” has ambitious priests and the threats of the Inquisition lurking all around our heroine who not only has a demon inside of her, but dares to want to have control of her life and independence from subservience. We also have hints as to what her fiancé would get out of this, and more hints about other ways that the Church has a cloud over a community of Indigenous people in ways that aren’t as obvious. It’s a fantastic re-examination of a genre that for so long has lauded the institution of the Catholic Church as the heroes of the story, and I’m so glad that more and more horror authors are approaching the tropes in new ways.

But I also really loved the love story between Alba and Elías, the outsider alchemist who people are wary of because of a dark past and perhaps some strange connections to non-traditional practices. Is it a little bit of a whirlwind insta love kind of romance? Yeah, for sure. But even so, I liked having both of their perspectives in the narrative so we could see a building passion between them as he wants to try to help her and she starts to realize that perhaps she CAN make room for romance in her hopes of finding a marriage match that won’t leave her abused or utterly powerless. There are also some moments that are pretty smolder-y, as while we don’t really get to see a lot of the smolder (after all, there are more pressing matters at hand), the build up and the chemistry between these two characters are palpable. Cañas really knows how to make me prioritize a romantic pairing even when demonic possession as religious oppression are nipping at said pairing’s heels.

“The Possession of Alba Díaz” is another winner from Isabel Cañas! She is three for three for me now, and I cannot wait to see where she goes next!

Rating 9: A possession story that sets its sights on not just the horrors of a demon within, but of colonialism and misogyny as well, “The Possession of Alba Díaz” is another historical horror gem from Isabel Cañas!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Possession of Alba Díaz” is included on the Goodreads lists “Mexican Gothic”, and “Horror to Look Forward To in 2025”.

Serena’s Review: “The Bone Raiders”

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Book: “The Bone Raiders” by Jackson Ford

Publishing Info: Orbit, August 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: This epic fantasy follows the story of the Rakada, a fearsome band known as the Bone Raiders, due to their charming habit of wearing the bones of those they kill on their armour. But being a raider is tough these days, especially when the High Chieftain is trying to wipe out you and your kind. When Sayana, a young Rakada scout, finds herself face-to-face with a fire-breathing lizard of legend during a raid-gone-wrong, she comes up with an audacious plan to save the Rakada and preserve their way of life. A plan that involves convincing the lizard to let her ride it.

Review: We’ve all read a million and one dragon fantasy novels. But how about…giant lizards? How do they differ? Well, mostly it seems they don’t have wings (though perhaps they used to!). There was a lot of creativity to love about this book, but I think that, like myself, most readers will go in curious about these fantastical beasts. And boy do they come through! In some ways, this book is like the adult’s version of “How to Train Your Dragon,” and I loved all the time that was spent developing the bond between our characters and the giant beasts. Things did accelerate a bit out of nowhere towards the end of the book (for fairly apparent plot reasons), but even here, the interactions between humans and lizards was a fun time all around!

I also really enjoyed the cast of characters. There are a few POV characters and two that really feel like the main characters. There were some familiar archetypes to be found here, but the entire cast was incredibly well drawn. Beyond taming the great lizards, much of the focus of the book is on this found family relationships that have been built up and are now tested within the Bone Raiders themselves. Many of these relationships are complicated, built up on years of teamwork, but challenged by differing views of how to move forward in a world that is quickly leaving them behind. The dynamics were often full of conflict, some that could be bridged and some that revealed something truly rotten at its core.

There were also two romances that served as a subplot and each played out in ways that I didn’t expect but that I appreciated more for it. This is not a romantasy by any means, so these “love stories,” such as they are, serve more to underline the challenges found in these sorts of bonds. How love does not, in fact, conquer all sometimes; that certain views of the world and approaches to life can not be bridged. There was also an incredibly well-drawn abusive relationship, all the more surprising because the characters involved by no means met the typical sorts of characters we see in these roles. This made it all the more impactful as it highlighted that toxic dynamics and behaviors can develop between any number of different sorts of people.

While the plot was fairly straightforward, the book was jam packed with action and adventure. As one would imagine for a book focused on training giant lizards, when the fights start, they go hard and are bloody. But man, was it a fun time! It was one of those sorts of books where you could easily picture it as developed into a movie or mini series, with grand battles and high stakes fights sprinkled throughout.

Lastly, I appreciated the inclusion of a POV from one of the villains of the story. I always love it when authors give us a peak into the minds of the antagonists of the tale. Having access to the villain’s thoughts and feelings prevents these characters from feeling like the mustache-twirling cardboard cutouts that we too often see. Instead, it was all to easy to sympathize with some of this character’s views, understanding how their life and experiences up to this point shaped their actions and approach to the world. But at the same time, the book doesn’t shy away from highlighting the true monstrosity at this character’s core as well.

Overall, this was wild ride that was nonstop fun from start to finish! Fans of epic fantasy, especially those who enjoy fast-paced stories full of action adventure are sure to enjoy this one!

Rating 9: A brilliant epic fantasy with the action turned up to the max!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Bone Raiders” can be found on this Goodreads list: All the New Fantasy Books Arriving in August 2025.

Kate’s Review: “How Bad Things Can Get”

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Book: “How Bad Things Can Get” by Darcy Coates

Publishing Info: Poisoned Pen Press, August 2025

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

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

Book Description: It was supposed to be the party of the century: miles of idyllic white sand beaches, lush jungle foliage…and a dark legend nobody dreamed might be all too true.

When an online influencer and several hundred of his most loyal fans land on Prosperity Island, the plan is simple: five days of elaborate games, drinking, and suntanned fun.

A week in paradise should have been a welcome respite. The only survivor of an infamous cult, Ruth wants nothing more than to keep her head down and not draw attention. She’s spent decades outrunning her blood-soaked childhood, and her identity is a closely held secret.

But then the true history of the island is revealed…along with its sinister connection to Ruth’s past. As guests go missing and games turn deadly, Ruth and the rest of the attendees are forced to question whether they’ve really been invited to paradise…or whether something much darker―and far bloodier―is waiting for them just beyond the bonfire’s light.

Review: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sending me an ARC of this novel!

I kind of dropped the ball at the beginning of August when I was parsing out my Highlights for the month. Don’t misunderstand me, I was absolutely amped by all of the books on the list, and they were all good choices. But I completely forgot about the newest horror novel from one of my favorite horror authors Darcy Coates!! Coates is must read for me, and her new book “How Bad Things Can Get” was DEFINITELY a highly anticipated book for the entire YEAR, not just August! Oh well, it is what it is. And besides, highlight or not, I am here to tell you that once again I adore Coates and I adored this book. And how could I not? It has cults, gore, feckless billionaires, and influencer culture all trapped on a tropical island!

It’s like it was written with me in mind! (source)

Coates takes her sweet time with “How Bad Things Can Get”, and I really liked having her lay all the groundwork for the surprises and horrors she had in store. We are following a couple of different threads in this book as a group of influencers and guests are invited to a private and secluded tropical island by Eton, a “Mr. Beast”-esque online influencer who has become a billionaire and has monetary prizes in store for his guests. Ruth is one of the guests with her boyfriend Zack, and she has a secret she is trying to hide from the rest of the world: she was the only survivor of a suicide cult called Petition. As she is trying to put the past behind her and start anew, this vacation is making her deeply nervous, and she feels like someone is keeping an eye on her. We also follow Petra, one of Eton’s most trusted employees, always there to tamp down scandal and to bolster positive news. We also follow the mysterious Logan, as he is looking for hints about what Eton is up to, and seems to be connecting the dots that something is wrong. At first I was worried it may be a bit much, but never fear, Coates knows what she is doing and as she sets the scene, we get a slow burn tension that hints at more cults, urban legends, and a tragedy that has haunted this island for generations. Ruth was the clear winner for me in terms of perspectives, as she is filled with pain and justified paranoia, but I felt like I wholly understood her and really got her background. And I felt for her when she was one of the few people realizing something was terribly wrong as the weekend and competition continues, but questions herself because of her trauma. I also enjoyed Petra, because following her meant that we could get at least a little insight into Eton without having to get a FULL look, which added to the mystery at hand of how much he knows and what he is hiding.

Coates knows her references, from Jonestown to Heaven’s Gate to Roanoke, and it all blends into a seriously nasty (in a good way) brew. It’s gory, it’s horrifying, and there were multiple moments where the imagery on the page completely jarred me and sent chills up my spine. The horror elements also feel a little like “Cannibal Holocaust”, though without the weird racist undertones or sexual violence that movie has. It’s relentless at times, but if you like some gross visceral horror it should be right up your alley. A lot of people have said it feels like Jonestown meets Fyrefest, and that’s a pretty good analogy that I am going to continue. And like I said, all of this is my catnip and I really, really loved it.

“How Bad Things Can Get” is a fun as hell and scary end of summer horror novel. This very well be my favorite of her books, and that’s some pretty stiff competition.

Rating 9: You got cults, you got a disingenuous billionaire, you got an influencer festival going full gorefest, and you got Darcy Coates. A perfect end of summer horror read!

Reader’s Advisory:

“How Bad Things Can Get” isn’t on many relevant Goodreads lists, but it would fit in on “Summer Horror Books”.

Not Just Books: August 2025

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Joint Pick

Film: “Superman”

It’s finally happening. The DC Film Universe (is it the DCU now?) is BACK, baby! Because both of us saw “Superman” and it was SO, SO GOOD AND CHARMING AND THRILLING AND HOPEFUL! Everything that a “Superman” story SHOULD be! We have a Superman (David Corenswet is a delight) that feels like he is actually at his heart Clark Kent and that he just wants to help people! We have a Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan is PERFECTION) that is a spitfire reporter who uses her journalism wiles and skills to not only help Superman but to help the greater good, without apology! We have a purely unhinged Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult, what on EARTH) who just feels like SUCH A HATER! And we have a fun cast of not as expected DC Superheroes to come to Superman’s assistance, from Guy Gardener’s Green Lantern (the most OBNOXIOUS Lantern!) to Mr. Terrific to Hawkgirl! And we also have Krypto being the bestest boy even if he’s so, so naughty at times too. This is the “Superman” we had both been waiting for. So punk rock. James Gunn…. Thank you.

Serena’s Picks

Video Game: “My Time at Sandrock”

As you’ll see, something about the late summer (or perhaps the onset of the coming school-related madness) has triggered both Kate and I to seek out some nice cozy video games to fill our time. Kate definitely has more experience with these types of games than me (I’m an RPG girl at heart), but now I’m soooo addicted, it’s unbelievable! Must….keep….building! Plus, there are a ton of fun characters and excellent romance options! I’m still fairly early on in the game, but I’m so excited to see how the story plays out from here!

Movie: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”

“Superman” is definitely my favorite superhero movie of the summer (and probably since a long time, since those characters are by far my favorite comic book characters!), but I’ve also been diligently keeping up with the Marvel movies. It’s not a shocking statement to say that the last few years for Marvel have been…rough. But between this and “Thunderbolts*,” it really feels like they might be finding the right track again at last! Simply put, they seem to have remembered that what made the original movies so good were the characters (and the actors they cast to play those characters.) Here, every single member of the ensemble cast knocked it out of the park. And for all that world-ending events are on the horizon, the story remains tightly focused on these characters and their personal arcs. I’m definitely excited to see them all again in the next movie!

Kate’s Picks

Video Game: “Tales of the Shire”

We all know that I am a huge “Lord of the Rings” geek. And I have started soft-launching an introduction to my daughter, as we’ve started slowly working our way through the movies (abridged a bit at my discretion) and we’ve looked at the artwork in my annotated “Hobbit” and my “Lord of the Rings” books. And most recently I got us “Tales of the Shire” on my Switch for us to play together. It’s basically “Animal Crossing” but with hobbits. It’s pretty simple, and it’s definitely cozy, and I like being able to cook meals for my neighbors, and growing a garden, and making friends with other hobbits. And it’s pretty low stakes and open sandbox, so my kid can play it and not feel any pressure or fear that she will screw up her game for her hobbit. I know that some people weren’t as impressed by it, and sure, it feels a bit repetitive at times, but as a game I can play with my soon to be kindergartner it works.

TV Show: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”

I told myself that I really REALLY needed to get back into “Star Trek”, but like usual I just kind of let it fall by the wayside because out of sight, out of mind. But when I was on my way to Las Vegas for my husband’s birthday celebration I saw that “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” was available to watch on the plane. Which was a perfect distraction on the way out west! “Strange New Worlds” is technically a spin off from “Discovery” as well as a prequel to “TOS”, as it follows the characterizations of Captain Pike, Number One, and Spock from “Discovery” as they go on the Enterprise on their own adventures before Kirk takes over in a few years. It’s pretty episodic so far (I’m not TOO far in), but I have really been enjoying seeing more Anson Mount as Pike and Rebecca Romijn as Number One. But it was also fun seeing that Uhura is on this show too, VERY early in her Star Fleet career! It’s just fun and very enjoyable, and I am truly pleased to see both Pike and Number One getting more attention as characters many many years after their initial (not too prominent) runs back on the original series.

Kate’s Review: “A Spell to Wake the Dead”

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

Book: “A Spell to Wake the Dead” by Nicole Lesperance

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Where Did I Get This Book: I received a hardcover from the publisher

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

Book Description: Two teen girls must uncover the dark, occult secrets lurking in their Cape Cod town to solve a series of murders—and save themselves from the same fate—in this twisty, witchy thriller.

When Mazzy and her best friend Nora sneak down to the beach one moonlit night to cast a spell, they don’t expect to find a dead body. But as the tide rolls in, it carries the remains of a woman who is missing her hands and teeth.

The girls know they should leave the investigation to the police, but they can’t shake the weird, supernatural connection they feel with the dead woman. Using spellwork and divination, they set out to find answers of their own. But after they uncover a rash of local disappearances stretching back years—and both girls start having occult visions and hearing ghostly, whispering voices—Mazzy worries that she and Nora are in danger.

Then, Nora finds a second body. And a whispering voice is telling her where to find more. With everything spiraling, Mazzy needs to figure out who to trust and how to sever this supernatural connection—or she and Nora might be the next bodies to wash up on the beach.

Review: Thank you to Penguin Randomhouse for sending me a finished copy of this book!

We are approaching the end of August, and here in Minnesota the first big symbol of the end of summer is the Minnesota State Fair, which started a couple of days ago. Whenever it’s time for the fair, I know that means that Autumn is just around the corner, and my Fall loving self starts to get excited and emotional. It’s my very favorite time of year, where I steep in all the spooky and cozy and scary and witchy things. And just in time for the turning of the seasons is a very witchy and Autumnal feeling book, “A Spell to Wake the Dead” by Nicole Lesperance. Seriously, if you are jonesing for Autumn like I am, this is probably going to be the book for you, because it felt like the perfect read to kick off the upcoming Fall.

“A Spell to Wake the Dead” feels like “The Craft” meets “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”, as we have two dabbling in witchcraft teens Mazzy and Nora as our main focus, who find themselves in way over their heads when they stumble upon a body after casting a mysterious spell. The book grabbed me from the jump, with a creepy body, implied potential possession, and the hints of a witchcraft cult that dabbles in human sacrifice, all against the spooky and yet serene backdrop of Cape Cod. Lesperance knows how to set an eerie mood, and I could practically smell the sea salt and feel the ocean mists as I was reading the book. Oceanside witches aren’t as common as other witch tropes, so it was extra fun seeing Mazzy and Nora use the sea and its bounty in their spellwork and explorations. I also enjoyed seeing the more casual use of spellwork in this book, with Mazzy and Nora not just doing huge spells that lead to the finding of dead bodies and perhaps ghostly influences, but also references to anti-anxiety spells and more simple and practical uses for magic. It just helped make it feel like these are two teenage witches who are interested in spellwork in their every day lives, which made it feel more genuine.

As for the creepy stuff and the mystery at hand, it definitely reads like a YA story, which is definitely not a bad thing. It didn’t send shivers down my spine, but I did like the mystery as Mazzy and Nora are trying to figure out who killed ‘May’ (as Nora has been referring to the body they found thanks to a strange supernatural connection) and as they find MORE bodies and evidence of a witch cult. It had a good number of twists and turns, and while I was able to predict some things, other things were genuinely surprising to me as I was reading. The stakes felt like they were climbing at a well done rate, and while the end felt a little bit frazzled and chaotic in some ways, overall I thought that everything generally pays off. It’s not a terribly scary story, but if you want your Autumn reading to be more “Practical Magic” than “The Witch” this will scratch that itch.

“A Spell to Wake the Dead” is an enjoyable witchy tale, the perfect way to kick off Autumn. I’m ready to kick summer to the curb and this made my need for Fall all the more pressing.

Rating 7: A spooky and witchy tale that will properly kick off the Fall season, “A Spell to Wake the Dead” is fun and vibes filled YA dark fantasy.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Spell to Wake the Dead” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Novels of 2025”.

Serena’s Review: “Katabasis”

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

Book: “Katabasis” by R. F. Kuang

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, August 2025

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

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

Book Description: Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.

Review: Kuang is such an interesting case as a writer. She’s both beloved, with her books immediately resulting in high sales and tons of special editions produced, but also fairly divisive, with readers either really loving or really disliking her books. While I’ve never really hated anything of hers, it’s also easy enough to understand where the disconnect lies. And this book will likely prove to follow the same pattern.

Let’s start with the unequivocally good parts! There’s no denying Kuang’s sheer talent at putting together a beautiful sentence, painting an evocative scene, and peopling her worlds with complicated, thoroughly realized characters. Even when I struggled at various points, I still felt a driving urge to continue reading, eager to know what would happen next. I very quickly became invested not only in the characters but in this version of Hell and the afterlife. The very nature of the story makes it so readers are always looking forward, on to the next ring of Hell and what new terrors and insights it will bring.

I also really enjoyed the two main characters, which is surprising since they weren’t necessarily likable much of the time, especially Alice. Indeed, I routinely was incredibly frustrated with her ability to keep her head firmly placed in the sand, even when confronted with the most obvious conclusions about the people in her life, both for good and ill. Peter was a more straight-forward character, easier to sympathize with and whose own history is slowly revealed over the course of the story. Their romance, while definitely a subplot, was very sweet with the moments we had.

I also liked learning more about this version of Hell and all of the logic puzzles that were at the heart of this world’s magic system. I will say, much of this was thoroughly unapproachable to the typical reader, myself included. If you asked me right now to explain exactly how any of these paradoxes or logic puzzles worked, I definitely couldn’t. That said, I still found them really interesting to read through and try to puzzle out. However, this is definitely an area that may be a turn off to readers. Kuang doesn’t go easy on her readers, and you’ll likely end up feeling a bit like a dummy reading this book.

I’ll also say that the book does get a bit too in the weeds with its focus on academia and the trials and joys therein. There were definite times where it felt like the author was including sections, passages, and theories simply to flex more than due to any necessities from the plot itself. Some of these moments felt a bit pretentious and naval-gazing, to be honest. I was invested enough in the rest of the story to just handwave these bits away, but I do think the story would have been improved with some editing that could have tightened these things up a bit. I get that the author has strong feelings on the nature of academia, but some of these discussions didn’t actually contribute to the narrative that was being built here.

Overall, I still very much enjoyed this book. That said, I think this will be received in a manner very similar to “Babel.” Some readers will very much connect with it while others may be turned off my some of the highhanded nature of the storytelling. If you’ve enjoyed her books (especially “Babel”) in the past, than I definitely think you’ll want to check this one out!

Rating 8: Perhaps prone to getting caught up in unnecessary waxing theoretical at times, the characters and story were still strong enough to have me whipping through this one fairly quickly!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Katabasis” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2025 Dark Academia Releases and 2025 Adult Fantasy/Sci-fi/Speculative Releases by BIPOC Authors.

Kate’s Review: “A Game in Yellow”

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Book: “A Game in Yellow” by Hailey Piper

Publishing Info: S&S/Saga Press, August 2025

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

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

Book Description: Euphoria meets Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke in this latest novel by the Bram Stoker Award–winning author Hailey Piper, following a couple whose search to spice up their sex life leads them down a path of madness.

A kink-fixated couple, Carmen and Blanca, have been in a rut. That is until Blanca discovers the enigmatic Smoke in an under-street drug den, who holds pages to a strange play, The King in Yellow. Read too much, and you’ll fall into madness. But read just a little and pull back, and it gives you the adrenaline rush of survivor’s euphoria, leading Carmen to fall into a game of lust at a nightmare’s edge.

As the line blurs between the world Carmen knows and the one that she visits after reading from the play, she begins to desire more time in this other world no matter what horrors she brings back with her.

Bram Stoker Award–winning author Hailey Piper masterfully blends horror, erotica, and psychological thriller in this captivating and chilling story.

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

I hadn’t actually heard of “The King in Yellow”, a collection of short stories with a horror play at its center with the same name, until I had picked up Hailey Piper’s new erotic horror tale “A Game in Yellow”. I’m not sure how I missed it, as researching it more makes me feel like it would be something I’d enjoy, but this was certainly an interesting introduction with the backdrop of a queer BDSM couple falling under the erotic spell of a stranger with a creepy little play that can grant absolute pleasure or absolute madness. I’ve been meaning to read more Hailey Piper, and thought that this one sounded creepy and out there. Which was compelling to say that least.

Our protagonist is Carmen, a woman who is in love with her girlfriend Blanca but whose sexual appetites have stalled out, so much so that even their BDSM kink play isn’t doing it for her. But Blanca hooks them up with a mysterious woman named Smoke who has a mysterious play called “The King in Yellow” that makes the reader tread to the very edge of euphoric pleasure… though should the reader go too far they will fall into insanity. As Carmen reads more her urges become more insatiable and their sex life is saved, but obviously at what cost as things start to get more and more out of control in her life and her mind. This is a horror story, but it is also filled with a lot of eroticism and kink that didn’t really hold back. Piper is more than happy to put all of the sexual thriller elements on the page, and the kinkiness combines with the building dread in a way that makes the reader feel like the reading process could very well teeter into some kind of voyeuristic experience. Piper’s writing is gorgeous at times, even if it is unrelenting in some of the rawer and ‘uglier’ elements of this dangerous game that Carmen is playing as she chases the dragon.

As for the horror elements, this book is very, very strange and weird with so much anxiety as Carmen perhaps slowly descends into madness. I do love a good ‘is it something supernatural or just someone losing their mind?’ trope, and Piper is very clever with how she ever so deliberately takes her time as Carmen spirals and becomes more paranoid as well as more insatiable for the pages of “The King in Yellow”. I will say that I did find the tension building to be effective, but do wish that we had gotten to the really weird and nutty ending a bit faster, or at least had more in your face nuttiness as the story led up to it. I’m not sure if this would have been different had I been familiar with the source material, but as it was I felt like I was waiting a bit for the fireworks factory to finally show up. That being said, the ending was INCREDIBLE, so that basically makes up for any criticisms about the pacing up until that point. Piper goes out with a bang with this one and I was left gobsmacked.

“A Game in Yellow” is off putting and weird. I think that if you are a little wary of kink or eroticism it may not be a good fit, but if you have an open mind and like stressful and beautifully written high strangeness horror it may be a good one to check out.

Rating 7: A deeply weird erotic horror story that drips with strangeness, “A Game in Yellow” is kinky and tension filled.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Game in Yellow” is included on the Goodreads list “Queer Releases August 2025”.

Serena’s Review: “Voidwalker”

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Book: “Voidwalker” by S. A. Maclean

Publishing Info: Orbit, August 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: Fionamara is a smuggler. Antal is the reason her people fear the dark.

Fi ferries contraband between worlds, stockpiling funds and stolen magic to keep her village self-sufficient – free from the blood sacrifices humans have paid to Antal’s immortal species for centuries.

Only legends whispered through the pine forests recall a time when things were different, before one world shattered into many, and the flesh-devouring beasts crept from the cracks between realities, with their sable antlers and slender tails, lethal claws and gleaming fangs. Now, mortal lives are food to pacify their carnivorous overlords, exchanged for feudal protection, and the precious silver energy that fuels everything from transport to weaponry.

When Fi gets planted with a stash of smuggled energy, a long-lost flame recruits her for a reckless heist that escalates into a terrorist bombing – and a coup against the reigning immortals, with Fi’s home caught in the crossfire.

She’s always known the dangers of her trade – and of the power she’s wielded since childhood, allowing her to see the secret doors between dimensions, to walk the Void itself. But nothing could have prepared her for crossing paths with Antal. For the deal she’ll have to make with him, a forced partnership to reclaim his city that begins as a desperate bid for survival, only to grow into something far more dangerous.

A revolution.

And a temptation – for how sweet the monster’s fangs might feel.

Review: This book has such a wacky cover, I can’t decide whether I love it or hate it! Either way, between that and the author (though I didn’t love “The Phoenix Keeper,” I still felt it had a lot of potential), I thought this one was definitely worth checking out. Unfortunately, I still didn’t completely connect with this story, but that’s not to say there were things to enjoy!

For one thing, in a lot of the ways that matter, this book reminded me strongly why I felt the way I did about “The Phoenix Keeper.” There, I struggled a bit with characters and worldbuilding, but felt the writing was, overall, quite strong. The same exact thing happened here. The story started off incredibly well. The plot took off quickly, full of action and stage-setting, laying before the reader a dark world full of monsters and danger. And throughout it all, the prose was strong, especially in a surprisingly dark and bloody prologue. Honestly, that prologue remains one of the best parts of the story! It felt serious, dangerous, and intriguing.

However, once our main character showed up, much of that seriousness quickly seeped from the story. Fi shows up and pretty much right from the start presents herself as your typical fantasy badass heroine. We’re told repeatedly how savvy a smuggler she is, how well she can read people and situations, and how deftly she has navigated her life living between the lines of what is allowed. However, for all that bravado (both in her inner descriptions of herself and her life, as well as in the actual dialogue between her and other characters), these traits are immediately called into question. The reader is told one thing (Fi is a great smuggler with a long history of success under her belt) but are shown a completely different thing (Fi makes incredibly stupid decisions against her explicitly expressed better judgement for pretty much no reason at all). Frankly, the first few scenes played out this dynamic so strongly that I was immediately on a back foot from there.

Beyond that, I haven’t read a ton of monster romance books, but this one did solidify a few things for me. While I’m not against them (ahem, how can anyone be when their favorite fairytale is “Beauty and the Beast??”), there are some incredibly important caveats to my enjoyment. Physical traits really don’t matter. I really enjoyed Ruby Dixon’s “Bound to the Shadow Prince” and that character is described as quite outside of human norms. But, importantly, Nemeth’s “monstrosity” was limited to physical characteristics. In that particular case, he was the direct opposite of a monster: bashful, bookish, and incredibly caring.

Here, however, the monstrous aspects went well beyond physical differences. While I loved the prologue for the true darkness that it set out for this world, it quite effectively killed my ability to see this character as a romantic lead. I don’t want to spoil things, but if you read the very first chapter, you’ll see what I mean. For some, this isn’t an issue. But I’ve discovered, for me, I really do have a line where I just can’t see how humans can cross to love this sort of monster. And this issue isn’t explained away! Fi has to confront it head on, and somehow is…fine with it?

Beyond all of this, there was something rather childish about the way Fi was written. Again, the prologue set up what felt like a serious, adult world. But I just couldn’t buy into Fi as a woman in her 30s. Her swearing was so childish, and don’t even get me started on the horrible nicknames (can we please PLEASE just kill this idea of giving each other cutesy nickname in romantasy novels??).

Overall, I didn’t love this one. Personally, I’d say it was around a “6 rating” for me, but I’ve bumped it up since I know that the romance (a large part of the story) was killed for me on a very subjective basis that may not apply to many other readers. Beyond that, I still think the writing had many strengths. I just really hated Fi.

Rating 7: I have a line for monster romances, and this one crossed it. However, I can see it worked well for others who really enjoy this sort of romantasy story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Voidwalker” can be found on these Goodreads lists: All the New Horror, Romantasy, and Other SFF Crossover Books Arriving in August 2025

Kate’s Review: “This Place Kills Me”

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Book: “This Place Kills Me” by Mariko Tamaki & Nicole Goux (Ill.)

Publishing Info: Abrams Fanfare, August 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC25

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

Book Description: At Wilberton Academy, few students are more revered than the members of the elite Wilberton Theatrical Society—a.k.a. the WTS—and no one represents that exclusive club better than Elizabeth Woodward. Breathtakingly beautiful, beloved by all, and a talented thespian, it’s no surprise she’s starring as Juliet in the WTS’s performance of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. But when she’s found dead the morning after opening night, the whole school is thrown into chaos.

Transfer student Abby Kita was one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive, and when local authorities deem the it-girl’s death a suicide, Abby’s not convinced. She’s sure there’s more to Wilburton and the WTS than meets the eye. As she gets tangled in prep school intrigues, Abby quickly realizes that Elizabeth was keeping secrets. Was one of those secrets worth killing for?

Told in comics, letters, diary entries, and news articles, This Place Kills Me is a page-turning whodunnit from award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki and acclaimed illustrator Nicole Goux that will have readers on the edge of their seats and begging for an encore.

Review: Thank you to Abrams Fanfare for providing me with an ARC at ALAAC25!

As someone who was a bit of an outcast in high school, stories about outsiders dealing with their outsider status appeal to me on a personal level. Along with that, I do love a good thriller and mystery. “This Place Kills Me” by Mariko Tamaki scratches both of those itches when it comes to thematic elements, and when I saw that it was going to be available at ALAAC25 I really wanted to get it. Finding out that there were also theater elements, boarding school dramatics, and queer themes to boot just hyped me up more! I’ve always enjoyed Mariko Tamaki’s contemporary books so I was quite interested in seeing what would be done with a thriller.

I really liked Abby as our main character, as she is a very relatable outsider who can’t seem to find her way to fit in at this prestigious all girl’s school, and who has some baggage toe carry with her due to rumors and unfair perceptions. I fully believed her as an amateur detective who wants to get to the bottom of her classmate’s unexpected death, especially when she uncovers some clues that make it seem like Elizabeth may have been hiding something. Tamaki is very deliberate in revealing clues through the eyes of Abby, and as she investigates and starts to find some of the more sordid and controversial secrets at Wilberton, she makes new enemies of fellow classmates, but also finds a potential ally in her roommate Claire, who has been pretty aloof bordering and hostile up until this point. I kind of saw some of the layers of the mystery early in the book, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. I was invested in seeing how Abby eventually figured things out for herself, and the coming of age that comes with learning about some dark and unfair truths about the world we live in.

But the thing that I found most resonant about this story, like many of Tamaki’s stories in the past, is how real and bittersweet and painful the coming of age aspect was in this story, and not just for Abby. But mostly Abby. This book takes place in the early 1990s, and Abby is a queer teen who has found herself ostracized and demonized because of her queerness and those around her being unable to understand or accept it. Tamaki taps into the loneliness and the isolation, and the way that having to hide oneself can be so damaging to a teenager (or anyone, really) going through some really difficult things. This book has some truly bittersweet and pathos filled moments, letting these feelings linger and speak for themselves even with a dark mystery at the forefront. But again, Tamaki has always been great with these kinds of stories, and this one continues the streak.

And finally, I enjoyed the artwork by Nicole Goux. Full disclosure, my ARC of this book was in black and white and the finished product will have some color, but even without that I still enjoyed the style.

(source)

“This Place Kills Me” is another great book about difficult subjects by Mariko Tamaki. Definitely recommended!

Rating 8: A disturbing mystery, a secretive girls school, and a bittersweet coming of age tale combine to make a solid story from Mariko Tamaki.

Reader’s Advisory:

“This Place Kills Me” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but it would fit in on “Boarding School Mysteries”.