Author: thelibraryladiesmn

Serena’s Review: “The Second Death of Locke”

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Book: “The Second Death of Locke” by V. L. Bovalino

Publishing Info: Orbit, September 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Grey Flynn has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier.

She will be his blade on the battlefield, his healer and protector. The deep well of raw power inside her is Kier’s to use. Grey would do anything for Kier – be anything for him – if he would only ask.

When a quest to protect the child of an enemy kingdom pulls them into the dangerous heart of their nation’s war, Grey and Kier will need to decide what they are willing to sacrifice to protect their secret.

For Grey is no ordinary magical well, but heir to the lost island of Locke – the root of all power. If she dies, all magic dies with her.

Review: I’ve always had an inkling that I’m probably not the typical romantasy reader. Not only do I not often enjoy the most popular titles in the genre, but, especially as I’ve gotten older, my preference for romantic tropes has shifted greatly. Mostly, I have a limited tolerance for the exhaustingly popular “enemies-to-lovers” trope. It can work (see “The Jasad Heir”), but it takes incredible restraint and dedicated character-building to properly pull it off, in my opinion. Something that you rarely see. Usually, the characters are called “enemies” because they have a minor disagreement or have been put on opposing sides of an incredibly simplistic conflict only to immediately fall head over heels for the first person they’ve talked to from the opposition. Instead, I’m coming to understand that I strongly prefer “second chance” or “friends to lovers” love stories. Alas, we see so few of these in the fantasy/romantasy genres. But, all of this long preamble aside, I present you with pretty much the perfect version of the “friends to lovers” trope all wrapped up in an excellent fantasy novel to boot!

Before I start raving about the romance, let’s talk a bit about other aspects of the book. While this is a character-driven story, the world-building and magic system we get were incredibly interesting. I’ve read other fantasy books that include a magic system somewhat similar to this, where it essentially takes two people to channel and direct magic. But this one was fairly unique in the dynamics this created between Well and Mage. What’s more interesting, the rather straight-forward dynamics that are set up in the beginning are challenged throughout the book. By the end, we see much of this flipped, particularly with Grey and her abilities as a Well.

I also really enjoyed piecing together the history of this world. The author just throws the reader into the middle of the action and the political strife. Only slowly does information come out about what exactly happened in the past and how things ended up where they did. Not only do these revelations explore the political past between nations, but we slowly learn more about Grey’s own previous life.

The plot was also fairly action-packed, especially, again, considering how much of this is a character-focused story. I closed the book feeling like I had really spent a lot of time with Grey, understood her fully and had read an excellent book about her coming into her own. But when I stopped to actually go over it all, I discovered numerous actions scenes peppered throughout, many throwing massive swerve balls into the plot and changing the entire direction of the story. The action ranges from one-on-one conflict all the way up to massive scenes of warfare.

But man, the characters and the love story, this is where it truly shines! This book should be held up as an example to all authors looking to write stories with mutual pining at the heart. And it’s not like you have to wait long to get to the good stuff (and by “good stuff” I don’t mean the spicy scenes; I mean, good ole longing and affection). Almost from the very start, it’s completely obvious that Kier and Grey are head-over-heels for one another and each are too oblivious to say anything about it. But instead of being annoying, this just leads to the reader getting to linger in all of the sweetness that is constantly touched on between them. Every little scene, we see constant affection from Kier towards Grey. And Grey, silly that she is, writes it all off. Now, this could have been tiresome, but instead I felt like I was in on the joke most of the time and was able to shake my head at her all while enjoying what we got in the meantime. Further, the author knew when to give up the ghost and allow the romance to actually move forward.

But what made this romance so successful was the fact that the progression didn’t end the moment confessions happened between them. Instead, through their romance, the story spends a lot of time exploring themes of sacrifice and what that means for those we love. This was particularly interesting as self-sacrifice in the name of love is something we see all the time in romance plot lines, but it’s rarely discussed in any meaningful way. Here, the story takes the time to dive into the nuances of sacrifice, specifically the way it can add an unhealthy dynamic to relationship development.

So, probably not a surprise by this point, but I absolutely loved this book. Grey was a fantastic, complex main character. Kier was pretty much the perfect romantic hero for a friends-to-lovers romance. And the fantasy aspects surprised and impressed at every turn. If you enjoy romantasy but are looking for something unique from the million-and-one generic enemies-to-lovers books coming out right now, definitely give this one a go! I’d also say that this is a great pick for general fantasy fans who enjoy romantic subplots, as I think there’s a strong enough fantasy adventure at its heart beyond the love story.

Rating 10: A perfect rebuttal to the idea that “enemies to lovers” is the peak romance trope. This, this is what I’ve been looking for in romantasy fiction!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Second Death of Locke” can be found on this Goodreads list: Year of the Lady Knight 2025

Kate’s Review: “LOONEY!”

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Book: “LOONEY!” by Stephen Kozeniewski & Gavin Dillinger

Publishing Info: French Press Publishing, April 2025

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

Where You Can Get This Book: Amazon

Book Description: When beloved cartoon characters come crawling out of her TV, army recruiter Gabriella Harman expects a zany romp instead of the hellish nightmare that follows.

One night, haunted by her memories of Iraq, Gabriella downs a stomachful of pills and booze. When her favorite cartoon characters, the Kooky Toons, start crawling out of the TV, she assumes she is hallucinating.

But soon Gabriella finds herself locked in a battle of wits and wills with Herman Hyrax, the world-famous, wise-cracking mascot of the Kooky Korporation. Herman is more than just a stinker, though. He may be a monster, a demon, a god, or something entirely more unwholesome.

Is Gabriella’s descent into a world of cartoonish violence and psychological torment real? Or has she simply gone…

LOONEY!?

Review: Thank you to French Press Publishing for sending me a copy of this book!

When I was a kid I loved the movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”. I remember watching it for the first time when I was in early grade school at a friend’s house, and thinking it was very funny (mind you I missed a GOOD majority of the jokes, especially the sexual ones), but also TERRIFYING as Judge Doom melted a toon shoe in a big ol’ barrel of Dip. And then revealed himself as a murderous toon and went fully HAM on Bob Hoskins. It was the first time I had thought about the absurd over the top violence of the old ‘Looney Tunes” cartoons and how in real life that kind of violence would be horrifying. I kept thinking about “Roger Rabbit” while reading “LOONEY!” by Stephen Kozeniewski and Gavin Dillinger, where a beloved Bugs Bunny-esque cartoon icon is revealed to actually be an otherworldly deity that craves violence and chaos, and has used cartoon fame to spread his word, and can only be stopped by a traumatized war veteran.

It’s a little different from a traumatized P.I., but it hits the same (also, this is a safe space, as an elder millennial all grown up I find myself oddly attracted to Eddie Valiant?) (source).

“LOONEY!” is written like a chaotic and tripped up love letter to “Looney Tunes” and old school Disney shorts soaked in a bit of blood and dark fantasy, and it’s so creative it generally works. Our primary antagonist is Herman Hyrax, a violent and maniacal entity that manipulated a cartoonist promising him fame and fortune, but then used his fame to try and create a cult following of fans to implement his bloodthirsty needs. Enter Gabriella, a war veteran with PTSD who finds herself face to face with Herman Hyrax and other characters from the “Kooky Toons” shows, but in real life, sowing discord while other thought to be cartoons try to stop him. As I said, it feels like “Roger Rabbit” if it was far more violent and gory. It’s such a creative idea, and I genuinely love the concept of a Bugs Bunny kind of icon actually being something malevolent and dangerous, hiding behind a charismatic persona of a cartoon character. I will say that some of it dragged on a bit, and there may have been a few too many side characters that were also deities masquerading as cartoons, but in terms of fun and over the top horror moments it hit the mark pretty well.

I also appreciated how the book kind of acknowledges that these old time cartoons, while filled with lots of warm and fuzzy nostalgia, had some pretty problematic elements to them just based on the time frame in which it was taking inspiration from. I remember having old Bugs Bunny cartoons on a VHS tape that my grandmother gave me (it was almost assuredly a bootleg of some sort) that had some WILDLY racist bits in it, which my parents were sure to shut down when they saw just what it was I was watching, and there are similar moments in the lore of Herman Hyrax and his other ‘kooky’ compatriots. And even a reference to WWII propaganda shorts much like the ones so many cartoon companies were making at the time. I felt like the book did a good honest job of capturing the vibes of the cartoons of this era, damaging bits and all (I also really enjoyed having the bits of screenplays from some of the episodes and seeing Herman become more and more unhinged with studio notes written in).

Overall, “LOONEY!” is a creative horror story that I found entertaining. If you like kind of weird and somewhat meta horror, this could be a good fit.

Rating 7: Very creative and like a demonic iteration of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”, “LOONEY!” has some wild horror bits and a nostalgia for old time cartoons (while acknowledging the baggage that came with them).

Reader’s Advisory:

“LOONEY!” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it did make me want to re-watch “Roger Rabbit”.

Highlights: September 2025

School has at last started, though that has also highlighted once again all of the activities and scheduled events that also entails! But at least the weather has been beautiful recently, making State Fair trips a much more pleasant experience than they have been other years! Of course, we still must always make time for new books and here are a few we’re looking forward to this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “A Land So Wide” by Erin A. Craig

Publication Date: Sept. 2, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I loved “The Thirteenth Child” when I read it last year! I know that Craig has also written a number of other young adult fantasy novels, though I haven’t gotten around to them yet. That said, I’ve found myself clicking more with adult fantasy recently, so I was thrilled to see she was coming out with her debut adult title this fall! The story follows a young woman who must venture far into a dangerous woods to save the man she loves. One sentence, but pretty much everything I like, right there!

Book: “The Summer War” by Naomi Novik

Publication Date: September 16, 2025

Why I’m Interested: While I’m impatiently waiting for Novik’s next full-length novel, I have been enjoying the other books we’ve gotten from her in the meantime. I really liked the collection of short stories she put out last year, which included a shortened version of “Spinning Silver.” It was really interesting noting the differences between the shorten version and the novel itself. But seeing those big differences, I was curious to see how Novik would handle writing a novella, a book with a length somewhere between short story and novel. There’s room to do more, but still not tons of space, meaning every page and scene must be utilized to its fullest! However, this author has never let me down, so I fully expect to love this one!

Book: “Wild Reverence” by Rebecca Ross

Publication Date: September 2, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Here’s another “must read” author, so it’s really no surprise to find her latest book on this list. That said, while I enjoyed the “Divine Rivals” duology, it wasn’t my favorite of Ross’s books. Yes, she broke out onto the scene with those, but I think a lot of readers are sleeping on her earlier adult fantasy novels, which I loved even more! So this book sounds like a perfect fit for me! Set in the world of “Divine Rivals” (good) but an adult, stand-alone fantasy novel (great!).

Kate’s Pick

Book: “Fiend” by Alma Katsu

Publication Date: September 16

Why I’m Interested: I feel like it’s been awhile since we’ve had an Alma Katsu novel so I am VERY excited to see that she has a new one coming out! And not only that, it sounds like it’s going to be a story that pulls from the real life inspirations of the dreadful Sackler family and a family curse that until now has been working to their advantage. It sounds a bit like Mike Flanagan’s “Fall of the House of Usher”, which has me amped because I loved that mini series. I’m also interested to see what she does with a more modern setting!

Book: “Play Nice” by Rachel Harrison

Publication Date: September 9, 2025

Why I’m Interested: This sounds a bit like influencer gilded secrecy mixed with “The Amityville Horror”, and both of those things REALLY call to me. I have loved all of Rachel Harrison’s books as they do some really cool horror things while also bringing us complicated female protagonists, and now that she’s finally tackling a haunted house (I guess we got a haunted hotel from her before) AND the traumas of a childhood that spends some time there I am just chomping at the bit. This will probably be saved for Horrorpalooza, as it sounds like it will fit in perfectly.

Book: “Road Trip with a Vampire” by Jenna Levine

Publication Date: September 23, 2025

Why I’m Interested: YAY!! Another supernatural romance novel from Jenna Levine!! And not only that, it’s following the witch that she teased in her previous book! I so thoroughly enjoyed the two previous books in the series, and I love the fact that this time we are going to be following a witch named Zelda on a road trip with a new vampire love interest. I enjoy the humor that Levine brings to these rom coms involving blood suckers, and the fact that we now have a witch thrown into the mix makes it all the more tantalizing.

What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Review: “A Forbidden Alchemy”

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

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”

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

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”

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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”

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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.