Category: Serena’s Reviews

Serena’s Review: “The Wretched Divine”

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Book: “The Wretched Divine” by Adalyn Grace

Publishing Info: Feiwel, September 2026

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

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

Book Description: Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she’s spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she’s one of the few who can stop them.

If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she’ll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom’s survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she’s sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good.

With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place in it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she’ll have to make a continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.

Review: I promise I won’t go on another rant about love triangles in this review. For one thing, the book summary does a great job of making it pretty clear that that’s where things are going. And for another, while I still didn’t love the love triangle, I actually didn’t hate this one as much as others. Mostly this was because there wasn’t an obviously preferred choice right from the start.

Just to jump right in from there, I actually really appreciated the fact that both love interests were given a decent amount of page time, and even by the end, it wasn’t super clear which direction things were going to go. I was a bit nervous when I read the original setup that we’d get the typical romantasy character types here: the goody, blond angel character who is clearly not a real candidate, and then the dark, mysterious demon character who’s the obvious endgame from the very first moment. But, if anything, I found my actual interest in these two going the opposite way. Yuriel seemed to have a lot more depth and character to him, in many ways making him my favorite character even above Aurelie herself. Severin, on the other hand, was rather bland and predictable. So while the book didn’t make it incredibly clear which direction the romance was going, I definitely had a preference, and it was refreshing to see the “dark bad boy” archetype shucked a bit, with the angel character ending up with more depth between the two.

I also found Severin and Aurelie’s chapters and scenes together to be some of the weakest, writing-wise. Here, we had the stereotypical “enemies to lovers” banter, and it all just felt so tired. It wasn’t bad, necessarily, but it was so familiar that you will feel like you’ve read these exact same exchanges many times in the past.

Aurelie’s chapters in particular were a challenge. While the book is marketed as new adult, Aurelie very much reads like the worst examples of YA heroines: impulsive and lacking any true depth to her emotions or motivations. At best, I didn’t care what was going on with her, and at worst, she would actively annoy me with the nonsensical approach she would take to situations.

All of this said, I still enjoy this author’s writing style. It’s very approachable and free-flowing. For all my frustrations with some of the character beats and the romance, I still sailed through this book at a steady clip. So, while this wasn’t my favorite book by this author, I definitely think it’s one worth checking out if you’ve enjoyed her books in the past and don’t mind love triangles as much as I do.

Rating 7: While I didn’t love the love triangle, it was nice to find that the angel love interest was actually more compelling than the demon. Dear lord, spare me from another dark, mysterious love option who’s immediately the obvious endgame.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Wretched Divine” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Romantasy TBR 2026 and Most Anticipated Adult Fantasy & Sci-fi of 2026.

Serena’s Review: “The Thief and the Traitor Bride”

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Book: “The Thief and the Traitor Bride” by V. L. Bovalino

Publishing Info: Forever, September 2026

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

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

Book Description: Nore Gordon is a woman of many talents: she can speak a variety of languages, disguise herself in plain sight, and has made a name for herself as a successful wine merchant. But unbeknownst to those closest to her, it is all a front for Nore’s true role as the favoured spy of the Lindle crown.

Tasked with infiltrating enemy lands in search of a powerful relic, Nore is forced to engage the services of a great thief. Unfortunately, the only person for the job is her estranged husband Caspian. Both Nore and Caspian bear the scars of the disastrous end of their marriage, but if they are to survive their deadly new assignment, they must pose as a happily married couple to avoid detection.

As danger closes in, Nore finds herself tangled in a web of lies and deceit-and though Caspian is at the centre of it all, she may not hate him as much as she once did. But Caspian has betrayed her before, and trust can be far more deadly than deception.

Previously Reviewed: “The Second Death of Locke”

Review: This is a tough review to write, because some of my experience of this book is affected by my absolute adoration for the first in this series. I was blown away by “The Second Death of Locke,” and to spoil my own review, the best parts of this book also just happened to feature the main couple from that book. That being the case, while starting to think about what to say about this book, I found it all coming out rather…ranty. Which isn’t fair! Because this is by no means a bad book; in fact, in many ways, it is an incredibly well-written fantasy romance that doesn’t shirk on the challenges of representing a character who is by no means reliable and who has been actively manipulated her entire life. But…it also wasn’t “Locke,” and I guess that’s what I wanted.

So let’s start with the good things, because really, there are many. Even my later criticisms should be taken with a grain of salt, because comparison is the killer of objective reviews. For the good, this author continues to prove that one doesn’t need to dumb down one’s writing when working within the romantasy or fantasy romance genres. This seems like it should go without saying, and yet. The prose was tight, lyrical, and suitably adult for the heavy topics the story was covering.

I will say, however, that the magic system, while very interesting, is still very confusing. I’m not always a big fan of glossaries or additional information included at the end, but a more laid-out explanation that could be referenced would have been helpful here, especially since the author introduced even more to an already complicated system. And, while I appreciated the map in the beginning of the book, it was notably leaving out some very important locations that are pretty central to the story, so I wish that had been expanded upon as well.

Beyond that, I appreciated the careful work the author put into her main character. Nore’s arc is not an easy one to write. She’s a woman who has been manipulated her entire life and is very much gaslit about her role in the world and her relationship with her mentor. This is fairly obvious to the reader right from the start. So it can be frustrating to watch Nore behave in some fairly unlikable ways due to this brainwashing. However, the book wouldn’t have the emotional climax it does or hit nearly as hard had Nore somehow been more aware of her circumstances. Indeed, her naivety is essential to demonstrate the challenges that those in abusive, manipulative relationships like this face, as well as those who hope to extract them from them. The author does a great job of carefully building up Nore’s history through a series of flashbacks that neatly illustrate how she’s come to where she is. From there, the book moves through her slow awakening to the reality around her.

But, like I said, this doesn’t make her a particularly fun character to read about. For a character who is meant to be a master spy, I wish we had seen more competence from her in the few moments that she is given to operate independently (though this restriction is also part of the manipulation, so I’m not sure how well it would work). So it’s easy enough to set aside some of the frustrations with her naivety in this area.

However, the romance was incredibly frustrating. I enjoy second-chance romances, but they are hard to write. And here we had a good example of where it can go wrong. The story plays out skipping between the present, where Nore and Caspien have been forced to work together after years apart following some terrible betrayal in the past that has left them both hating one another. This hatred seems to go both ways, though we see more from Nore, of course, as we’re reading the story from her perspective. Interspersed with this are flashbacks to their past in which they fall in love and eventually marry. So, we don’t get to the actual betrayal until nearly the 50% marker in the book. This leaves a lot of time to really build up this betrayal as fairly massive. And when we get to it…man, it really fell with a thump. Both characters, but mostly Nore, react so instantaneously and so poorly that I was immediately frustrated and annoyed. For characters who have been in love for years and happily married for a good chunk of that, the switch to immediate hatred with no room for explanations just read as ridiculous at best, and unlikable at worst. Nore, in particular, comes across as incredibly hypocritical in this scenario.

Now, once the romance starts building back up in the present timeline, I did enjoy these two together. Nore was at her best in the scenes with Caspien. And while he wasn’t my favorite love interest ever, I was fully on board with Caspien pretty much from the start. Between this book and the first (where the emotional stakes at least were much more known by both characters, even if they didn’t admit them to each other), I think it’s fair to say that this author has an incredible way with writing romances between two characters who are in love already to some extent. This is a pretty rare talent, as there’s often a reason that romance authors just end the book once the characters have acknowledged their feelings, usually at the very end of the story. However, I don’t think the enemies-to-lovers bit worked as well here, unfortunately.

We do get to see more of Locke and Kier and man, I was so happy when they showed up. Unfortunately, Locke’s presence did expose more of my frustrations with Nore, as even the small bits we get from Locke were so much more compelling than much of Nore had been for much of the story. Kier was also wonderful, and the little snippets of their love story were so sweet.

On a final note, I think the pacing of this one was also a bit off. The first book was also on the slower side, but this one really dragged in the middle. Part of this was the frustration in having to wait so long for the reveal of what went wrong in the past (and then the disappointment when it came). But there were also a lot of slower travel scenes and bits that felt drawn out past their usefulness. I think a decent amount of paring down in this middle section would have made the entire book a tighter, more enjoyable read.

That said, this was still incredibly well written, and, while frustrating at times, I appreciated the unique arc that Nore traveled. The romance was at its best in the second half of the story, and I was happy to get to spend more time with Locke and Kier. While this didn’t quite live up to the high that was the first book, I still enjoyed it and am excited to see what comes next!

Rating 8: While this didn’t quite live up to the high that was “The Second Death of Locke,” this was still an incredibly well-written fantasy romance with a lovely second-chance romance at its heart (though you do have to wait a bit for it!)

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Thief and the Traitor Bride” can be found on this Goodreads list: Gothic Fantasy (not sure I would put it here, but oh well!)

Serena’s Review: “A Snake Among Swans”

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

Book: “A Snake Among Swans” by Hannah Kaner

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, September 2026

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

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

Book Description: Tilde has always heard the whispers of the kithwood, the voices of her ancestors speaking through the mysterious forest of her homeland. But now both the kithwood and her kingdom are in danger.

For Tilde is the only surviving heir of a conquered land. To unite the people and finally stop the bloodshed, she marries the aging warlord, King Liran. Her duty is to bind their nations and bear him a son.

But the swan king’s court is dangerous. Tilde is a threat to the claim of Liran’s older sons, who will do whatever it takes to remove her, to the princess Elise who has only ever known loyalty to her family, and to the priests who own them all.

Yet none of them know that Tilde is a snake in their midst, with allies on her side and dark, forbidden power of her own. She wants her kingdom back, and she will sacrifice everything to claim it.

For the queen to rise, the swans must fall.

Review: Overall, I enjoyed this read. I had a bit of an up-and-down experience with her previous trilogy, so while some of those struggles showed up again here, this book also served as a strong reminder of why I’ve enjoyed this author so much in the past.

In many ways, this is a very familiar high fantasy tale. The world-building isn’t incredibly unique, and the character archetypes are familiar. Many of the themes are also what you’d expect from this sort of novel: feminine rage and the weights of duty and power in the face of desire. All of this can sound like negatives when listed out like this, but I think it’s books like this that also remind us why we’ve seen these stories before, and that’s because they can be truly excellent if done well!

Kaner’s lyrical, poignant style of writing elevates familiar themes and raises them to levels that feel powerful and lasting. This was especially true of Tilde, a character who knew what she wanted and was willing to make difficult decisions to accomplish her goals. While her story unfolds, there were several lines that I stopped to reread, as they so perfectly encapsulated the struggles of women in these sorts of medieval worlds that are loosely based on European history. Kaner perfectly hones in on just how infuriating this situation is: the lack of power and choice, the relegating of one’s personhood down to only the ability to produce an heir. It’s enraging. But the ability of the author to draw out such strong feelings is a testament to her skill.

I will say that pacing was a problem in some of the other books I read by this author, and I had similar struggles here. I was immediately drawn into the story, but somewhere around the middle, things really began to lag. It was at this point that I started becoming tempted to skim a bit. Luckily, as the story got into the back third, things began to pick up again, and I was roped back into the story.

It’s hard to say this was an enjoyable read when so many of the emotions are focused on rage and injustice. Perhaps a better description would be saying it was a powerful read. The pacing and plotting weren’t perfect, but I was able to get through the lull to the conclusion. I’m definitely curious to see where the story goes from here, and I would recommend this to readers looking for a classic medieval fantasy with a sapphic love story at its heart.

Rating 8: Powerful themes of feminine rage permeate this read. But there’s also a lovely sapphic romance to get you through some of the parts that will infuriate you!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Snake Among Swans” can be found on this Goodreads list: Reactor’s 30 More SFF Titles to Look Forward to in 2026.

Serena’s Review: “Daughter of the Dark”

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Book: “Daughter of the Dark” by R.J. Vallderperas

Publishing Info: Bramble, September 2026

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

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

Book Description: For Solana, survival has always meant staying sharp—and staying alone. With a blood-forged dagger as her only inheritance, she’s made herself Supay’s fiercest demon slayer, hunting muki—monsters born from human death—through the kingdom’s streets.

But the work comes with a curse of its every body she leaves behind swells the muki’s ranks. The city that raised her has been her cage for so long she’s stopped believing freedom is real.

Then a twist of fate drags her into the palace and crowns her Royal Demon Slayer, a title wrapped in silk and sharpened like a blade. The magic is dazzling. The secrets are darker. And whatever is poisoning Supay didn’t start in the alleys. It started behind gilded doors.

Worst of all is Reyes, the king’s right-hand man, a captain of the Masters, and her personal torturer turned mentor who’s dangerously hard to resist. Wanting him is a mistake. Trusting him could be fatal. Because if Solana walks away, the kingdom falls. And if she stays, she may have to become the monster Supay needs.

Review: I don’t typically look at other reviews before writing up my own so as to preserve a more uninfluenced opinion, but this book had me stumped for a bit. There was something about it that was both familiar and not particularly to my taste, and when I went to the reviews, someone had the perfect comparison: this book’s heroine is almost an exact replica of Celaena from “Throne of Glass!” And suddenly my feelings were clear. I wasn’t loving this, but some part of me was also recognizing that I was likely going to be the outlier. After all, “Throne of Glass” is incredibly popular, and I’m definitely an outlier for my dislike of it and of Celaena.

So yes, our main character was one of my main struggles with this book. She’s your typical badass assassin with oh, so many secrets. But, of course, we don’t really see much of this and instead are repeatedly simply told that she’s the best at what she does. Similarly, the love interest feels like some jumble of all the love interests from the “Throne of Glass” series combined. He wasn’t terrible or anything on his own, but he was also so familiar as a type that I was immediately bored by him.

I think that was my main problem with this book. It’s competently written, the characters are all the sort that often appeal to romantasy fans, and the pacing was fast-moving. And I’m sure there are a bunch of readers out there who will gobble this one up. But I’m getting so tired of reading the same characters and love interests time after time. And the style of writing that is popular now, which relies heavily on simply telling readers traits about the main characters, is so dull that I’m getting to the point where it’s a struggle to finish books where this pops up in the first few chapters. Which I hate. Because there have definitely been examples of books that didn’t immediately enthrall me, but then, after a few chapters, successfully drew me in.

I will say that I think the world-building here was its strongest aspect. The exploration of the underworld and the demon-like creatures was fascinating. I also really liked the overall Peruvian culture that carried through in some of the descriptions of food and architecture. That said, I could have used even more of this. I especially thought that the magic system was a bit underdeveloped and didn’t take full advantage of its interesting origins.

Overall, this was a bit of a disappointment. The cover is fantastic, and I know there are a lot of readers who will enjoy this. If you like “Throne of Glass,” for example, and that heroine in particular, this will definitely be up your alley! So subjectively, as I didn’t like that book or its lead, this wasn’t my favorite and would probably be a “6” for me personally. But I’m bumping it up a notch since that’s such a “me thing” problem.

Rating 7: The Peruvian influences were the most interesting part. And from there, it may come down to how much you’d like to re-read “Throne of Glass.” Which…not so much for me.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Daughter of the Dark” can be found on this Goodreads list: Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2026.

Serena’s Review: “Reign”

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

Book: “Reign” by Bethan Croome

Publishing Info: Cosmo Reads, September 2026

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

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

Book Description: The Kingdom of Lyonesse is absent of magic but not of rain.

In the rain-soaked Kingdom of Lyonesse, magic is outlawed―punishable by death. So when Niamh’s forbidden witchcraft is exposed, she flees her rainy village disguised as a man. She never meant to end up on a battlefield.

Mistakenly conscripted into a brutal war engineered by a paranoid king against a vengeful sorceress determined to reclaim the throne, Niamh now hides another secret―her womanhood. Between fighting terrifying beasts and confronting arcane powers she once believed were merely folklore, Niamh is thrust into a world where survival relies on more than luck―it demands alliances.

In battle, Niamh must obey Prince Fitzroy, the king’s infuriatingly handsome illegitimate son and sharp-tongued commander tasked with eradicating magic. He is everything she despises…and everything she struggles to resist. Back at camp, she forges a complicated friendship with Bash, a fellow soldier who sees her like no one else does and stirs forbidden feelings that could shatter her disguise.

As war tightens its grip on the kingdom, Niamh is forced to choose: obey the prince who could expose her, trust the soldier who could love her, or embrace the forbidden magic that could save them all.

But war is merciless, and not everyone will live to see which side prevails.

Review: I’ve seen a lot of reviewers mentioning Mulan when referencing this book. And while I get it, that’s one of the most well-known examples of a “woman dressing as a man” story we really have, it’s also a very specific tale, and mentioning it every time a book features a female character dressing as a man just messes with people’s expectations. We might as well reference the “Alanna” series by Tamora Pierce or, heck, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” while we’re at it! Anyways, I’ll get off this weird soapbox and get on with the review.

By the time I finished this book, my primary feeling was that I really wished I had liked it more than I did. There were some good ideas here, and I’ll be honest that some of my struggles came down to my own preferences (we all know my feelings on love triangles by this point). But the book also struggled in too many basic ways to truly be thought of as a successful read or one that I would recommend generally to other fantasy readers.

For one thing, the writing itself was a tough read. It felt wooden and lacked any sense of a unique tone or voice. The structure felt very rigid, and the entire affair left me feeling cold and unable to connect to anything that was happening on the page. In the most basic sense, there was way too much telling throughout the entire book and not enough showing. From character development, to plotting, to world-building: it all felt like a slow progression of checklists just being tacked one upon the other.

The characterization was equally bland. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the dialogue was incredibly choppy-feeling and didn’t read in a way that felt like believable interaction. And while I could appreciate some of the basic components of these characters, they also quickly began to feel overly familiar, without much new to be added or experienced while following their stories. And, of course, this didn’t help the romance. Setting aside the multiple love interests thing, which is very much just a “me issue,” I also simply didn’t buy any of these relationships. It never felt like any true connection was built between these characters. Instead, like everything else, the reader was simply informed that a connection was there.

Overall, this was a very lackluster read. I really enjoy fantasy stories that follow a woman dressing up as a man, as I think this can explore some really interesting concepts of misogyny and the different dynamics between the sexes. But this one didn’t really do anything with all of this. Instead, the wooden and choppy writing took me out of it almost immediately, and the flat characterization prevented me from ever connecting to the story. Readers who enjoy romances with multiple love interests and who want to experience another “woman undercover as a man” story may still want to check it out, however!

Rating 6: I wanted to like this one, but everything fell just a bit short, from the characterization, to the choppy dialogue, to the flat prose.

“Reign” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2026 Most Anticipated Romantasy & Fantasy Romance Releases

Serena’s Review: “Reliquary”

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

Book: “Relilquary” by Hannah F. Whitten

Publishing Info: Orbit, August 2026

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

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

Book Description: Sometimes, you just want to belong.,When Claire’s fiancé mysteriously dies of an unknown neurological illness, seemingly destroying her chances at the belonging she’s sought, she’s prepared to sink back into the lonely life she lived before. Orphaned by a freak boating accident in her childhood, she never expected to find connection like she did with Elias, anyway. Even if sometimes, that connection seemed more like something he felt obligated to than something he wanted.

Their relationship wasn’t perfect—his coldness, his secrets, his strange aversion to the ocean—but what relationship is?

When Elias’s family reaches out—his incredibly wealthy family, from whom he was estranged—and invites Claire to a wake at their family home on a private island, Claire is given the chance to have connection again. To belong to something, just like she’s always wanted. Just like Elias knew she was desperate to have.

Even if that family is a little strange. Even if their home built partially into the sea stirs up memories of the accident that killed her parents and sister. Even if Ash, Elias’s older brother, seems insistent on Claire leaving as soon as possible.

Claire can’t bring herself to be lonely again. And as the strange circumstances of Elias’s familial connection with the sea becomes more and more apparent, her window for escape is rapidly closing.

Does she even want to?

Review: There must be something in the water, since many of my favorite fantasy authors have all seemed to come to the collective understanding that now is the time to try their hand at the horror genre. And so I must dutifully follow, our blog genre/reviewer standards be damned!

Luckily for me, what Whitten has written here is a wild, Gothic ride that veered way further into the fantastical than I had expected when I first picked it up. The general setup, however, played into some of my favorite elements of Gothic fiction. We had the creepy, mysterious house, the strange family, and secrets whose answers might be even more dangerous when they are finally revealed.

For all that there is a creepy house, the horror elements were largely focused on the ocean and aquatic themes. And all of this was truly terrifying and surprisingly disgusting and disturbing. As far as the actual horror goes, beyond the suspense of the general setup, the primary way it plays out is through increasingly disturbing moments of body horror. This is definitely not one to read if you have a weak stomach or really struggle with body grossness.

I can’t get into too many details about how the story plays out, as there were a ton of late-game reveals that really twisted the story into an entirely different beast. There was definitely not a lack of creativity, and, like I said, the book took on a much more fantastical flavor toward the end than it did with its more typical Gothic setup. For me, this was a pleasant turn of events. But it also comes fairly late in the game, and then the book whacks you over the head again and again for the remainder of the read with increasingly out-there twists. So readers who are vibing with the more general Gothic premise or who are expecting a more grounded horror story might find themselves off balance when this shift comes.

I really enjoyed all of the characters we had here. Of course, “enjoyed” in cases like this often means loving to hate them. The entire family was so disturbing, all in different ways. And the book did a great job of highlighting the various ways that different personalities might buckle and twist under these circumstances. There’s a lot of toxicity here, but many different flavors are on display.

There was also a surprisingly interesting romantic subplot. For a book that takes place over only a few days, I was surprised by the depth of this plotline. Partly this is because the love interest was one of the most interesting characters in the book. His arc is tragic, frustrating, and compelling.

I also really enjoyed the main character. Through her, Whitten expertly portrayed a woman whose struggles with tragedy and guilt have led her to extreme levels of passivity and a desire to belong that trumps almost anything else. What makes this all the more interesting is that Claire herself is largely aware of her own failings in this area. But that doesn’t make her any more capable of disrupting her own habits. She knows they are deeply unhealthy, and for much of the book, she’s embraced them as part of herself. This can make her frustrating to read at times, but also makes it all the more gratifying when she finally comes around.

The pacing of the entire book was a bit odd. It starts slow, which is expected with this sort of horror, the type that is leaning strongly into dread and revels in the slow reveal. But it does make for a jarring experience in the back half when the wheels seemingly come off and it’s full blast for the last third of the book. Not necessarily a full blast of action, but more one heavy scene after another. And, while I liked how things wrapped up in the end, I was left with a few too many questions about parts of it to be fully satisfied.

That said, this was still a great read. It was horrifying, heart-wrenching, and deliciously cruel at times. But there was also just enough softness and heart, especially to Claire’s story and the slow arc of her relationship with the MMC, to properly balance things out. Readers who enjoy horror that leans into the fantastical should definitely give this one a shot!

Rating 8: I’ll never look at the ocean the same way again. Or get on a submarine, for that matter. But here Whitten expertly blends the horrific with the fantastic, all while exploring deep themes of family trauma and grief.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Reliquary” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Seaside Gothic and Horror Releases Coming in 2026.

Serena’s Review: “The Art of Charming a Changeling”

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

Book: “The Art of Charming a Changeling” by Sylvie Cathrall

Publishing Info: Orbit, August 2026

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

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

Book Description: On her first day working in the prince’s galleries, art conservator Florrie Hyverfell discovers that the most famous portrait in the collection is not only a fake-it’s also inhabited by Vern, a fairy trapped in the forged painting.

Tracking down the stolen original is the only way for Florrie to save her job and for Vern to escape his canvas. Yet as they journey to a famed fairy museum to find the missing artwork, Florrie finds herself taking more than an art historical interest in the changeling painting’s charming inhabitant.

Review: I know Cathrall’s first duology was a bit hit or miss for some fantasy readers, with people sometimes falling off the slower pacing and verbose style of writing. But I really enjoyed it, especially the epistolary format and the creative world-building that expanded in truly wild directions by the time the entire thing came to a close. That being the case, I was excited to pick up another book by this author, especially as this one seemed to have the trappings of a Regency romance novel as well!

It didn’t quite hit the same highs as the other duology, but I’ll go more into that later. But what it did do right, it did very well. From the start, I remembered why I enjoyed this author’s prose. She has a flowing, whimsical style that somehow elevates these sorts of “day in the life” cozy fantasy novels into a place where I am less likely to get bored. This is obviously a subjective point, but I often struggle with cozy fantasy novels that don’t have much plot balancing things out. And like those, this is very light on the plot. There are pages and pages where not much really happens, but because the author’s style of writing is so lovely, I was more than happy to just sit back and go at this more languid pace.

However, some readers may struggle here if they don’t connect with the writing as well. This is definitely one of those books where the author uses twenty words when one is only needed, and the plot is truly secondary to pretty much everything else going on on the page.

I also really enjoyed the main character, the love interest, and the cast of side characters we met along the way. The main character especially was incredibly sympathetic and compelling, nicely balancing a desire to do the right thing with her own struggles with her role in this kerfuffle and her larger artistic ambitions. The love interest was also lovely, though his niceness also left him feeling a bit one-dimensional at times. As the story went on, more depth was given here, but I did at times wish for a bit more spark beyond the simple golden retriever energy he was giving off. The side characters were also very good, for the most part. There was a cousin, Chary, whom I actively disliked through most of the story, and I’m not sure if that was intentional on the author’s part.

As I mentioned above, while the style of writing carried this book for me, I do think there were a few things missing here that were in the first duology. For one thing, the format in the first book, with characters exchanging letters back and forth, better played into this wordy style of writing. It added a little “oomph” to the proceedings, for lack of a better word. Here, there were times where even I began to struggle with the glacial speed of the plot and the detailed descriptions of almost everything.

Further, I also think that the world-building and general mystery of the first duology also better held up this pacing/style-of-writing issue. There, even if the plot itself wasn’t moving quickly, the reader was constantly learning new things about this world and being fed new little tidbits to piece together the mystery at the heart of that story. This book follows a much more traditional questing plot and is set in a fairly familiar fantasy world, so the slower moments didn’t have these extra bits to fall back on when things began to drag.

That said, I still very much enjoyed my experience with this book. Even with my quibbles, I enjoyed this cozy fantasy much more than I typically do with other books in this subgenre. However, much of this came down to my appreciation of this style of writing, and that might be hit or miss for some readers. If you enjoyed her first duology, though, I think there’s still a good chance you’ll like this book too!

Rating 8: A bit on the slower side, but I still enjoyed my time with this one!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Art of Charming a Changeling” isn’t on any Goodreads lists currently, but it should be on Cozy Fantasy Romance reads.

Serena’s Review: “A Trade of Blood”

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Book: “A Trade of Blood” by Robert Jackson Bennett

Publishing Info: Del Rey, August 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilt, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.

To de-escalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.

It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side—and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.

As ever, the impossible proves little obstacle for the deadly combination of Ana’s intellect and Din’s keen eye, and mere hours after riding into the dusty town, Ana glimpses the greater pattern behind the crime. A deeper, subtler web of death is being woven in plain sight, by a mastermind with an ancient magical technology at his disposal.

But even Ana’s uncanny insight is of little use when each new suspect she uncovers ends up dead–with each new killing calculated to bring tensions between the two rival clans past the boiling point. And as Din pursues their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, he finds his loyalties divided in unexpected ways.

Previously Reviewed: “The Tainted Cup” and “A Drop of Corruption”

Review: Per the usual with this series, I finished the last page of this book and had to just sit for a bit. Partially to think through some of the deeper themes discussed in the story and how they relate to our world (this one deals heavily with food and the food industry, as well as the economy of labor), yes. But also partially to try to cope with the sheer amount of body horror that I’ve exposed myself to once again!

Like the other books in the series so far, the story starts out with Ana and Din traveling to another area of this realm and, of course, needing to solve some new horrific murder mystery. I really enjoy this general setup for the series, as this land itself and its half-forgotten history are so unique and veiled in mystery (even to the people who inhabit it) that this traveling setup really allows the story to expand into various corners of this world. Here, we’re further in from the wild and dangerous outer realms and instead focusing on the wealthier and more comfortable parts of society. But while they don’t need to worry about the massive beasts that accost this land so regularly, there is darkness beneath this sheen of civility.

This book in particular dealt with two feuding families who built their wealth around ranching, essentially. The murder itself is almost secondary to unpacking the disturbing elements that go into the way these two families operate and the way their businesses have been built. I don’t want to go into too many details, as there are quite a few surprises throughout, but the story quickly introduces some pretty horrific concepts. And even though you can see some of it coming, it’s one of those situations where you can’t look away. Instead, I was quickly turning pages in some sort of inner sick quest to finally see it all play out!

But while this original setup is the foundation, like in the first two books, by the time we get to the back third, the scope of the situation has expanded into the greater mysteries and history of this world. Even though it came late, I really enjoyed these later reveals and how they connected to Ana especially. There was also some great lore revealed about the history of this world, and I’m excited to see where some of it may go in future books!

Din, of course, as the main character, was also fantastic as always. We’ve had bits here and there about his past and family situation, but this book dives much deeper into them. I enjoyed learning more about him through these new perspectives. We also get a new layer exposed of his abilities. It’s only brushed upon here, but the foundation was definitely laid for new trials and tribulations in this arena.

There was also a fantastic set of side characters and potential suspects. I thought this book was a bit easier to piece together as far as some of the forefront dynamics went. But again, the book adds a late-game twist that does add a new and more unexpected layer to the entire mystery.

Overall, if you’ve enjoyed the first two books in the series, this is more of the same in the best way possible! Definitely check it out!

Rating 9: The horrors of family dynamics are only the tip of the iceberg in this terrifying new entry in the Din and Ana mystery series by Robert Jackson Bennett!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Trade of Blood” is on this Goodreads list: Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2026.

Serena’s Review: “The Shadows That Listen”

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Book: “The Shadows That Listen” by Louisa Carmody

Publishing Info: Orbit, August 2026

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

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

Book Description: It’s been five years since the world was brought to its knees by an immortal war. Daemons crawled from the depths of hell and the sky bled gold as the angels arrived. Humanity thought it was saved, but the angels did not come to protect us.

Amara is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency. She spends her days searching for those who don’t make it home after curfew. But when her boyfriend Jeremy goes missing, she decides to venture into the shadows to bring him back. Even if it means death.

Nathaniel is an archangel tasked with leading the destruction of humanity, for which he cares little. He doesn’t have time to protect little humans running around in the dark, especially those who stab him in the stomach.

But Nathaniel and Amara will soon realise they share a foe, one that lurks in the shadows and stalks them from the skies. She might long to kill him, but Amara knows that having an angel at her side is the only way to find the man she loves.

The shadows lengthen. They listen. Who will survive the night?

Review: I’ve always felt like fantasy books have been sleeping on angels. We have a bunch of demon stuff, but, as “Supernatural” proved, you can make angels just as badass as demons, if not more so! I also missed the train on “Angelfall,” which is one of the more popular angel series that currently exists. But I heard some comparisons being thrown around between these two books, so I thought I might get another chance at this sort of book with this series. Well, let’s just say the comparisons aren’t warranted, because this was a pretty big disappointment for me.

Honestly, there wasn’t much I liked about this one. I would say that the general idea was interesting, but, like I said, angels seem to be an untapped paranormal being in the current fantasy landscape, so their inclusion was always going to make this one stand out from the crowd. I’ll also say that this is one of those easily digestible romantasy reads that I know clicks with a lot of readers out there. The distinction between romantasy and fantasy romance is a big one, and I know that I fall more into the latter category. So this one, playing more toward romantasy (romance is the primary focus, fantasy secondary), was always going to be a bit of a tougher sell for me. However, readers with a strong preference for romantasy books and their current trends will likely connect with this one better.

But even still, this book was simply not well written. No other way to put it, really. From a technical standpoint, I’ve seen worse. But even on a line-by-line basis, it lacked any sense of voice or style, feeling flat and mechanical more often than not.

The worst sins of the writing came with the characterization, however. And, since characterization is king for me, this was a true enjoyment killer. The characters simply didn’t make sense. The world is set up in a very specific way, with a very specific dynamic between angels and humans. And yet, from the start, our main leads do not behave as if this is the case whatsoever. It’s one thing to have an almost all-powerful being come to appreciate those they have seen as beneath them and reflect on their own errors, eventually coming to a place where they are capable of forming a true connection with someone they would have historically seen as beneath them. But this wasn’t that. This was a being whom we were told saw humans as insects who immediately treats the heroine as anything but that, flirting away and in every way behaving as if she is not only worthy of any attention, but extra attention. Beyond that, this main romantic lead was simply boring. You know everything you need to know about him from the first introduction.

The same can be said of Amara. She’s exactly the sort of fantasy lead you’ve seen a million times before, especially in urban fantasy: feisty, seemingly competent, and the dreaded “not like other girls.” For all of her spunk, we’re never really given any reason that she should stand out to a being like Afriel. If anything, more often than not, Amara’s actions and choices don’t make a lick of sense.

The entire thing was boring, predictable, and, believe it or not, pretty cheesy. The dialogue was clunky, with characters randomly dropping tons of lore into responses in a context that makes no sense (the character to whom they’re speaking would already know this information, for example). And there were so many clichés it was almost a joke. Look, I’ve read some great paranormal romances. In fact, I’m right in the middle of reading Ilona Andrews’ “Burn for Me” trilogy and am absolutely loving it. Spunky heroines and overpowered love interests can work. But here, the author didn’t seem to have anything new to say and relied too heavily on tropes and clunky delivery to get her story across. Even for romantasy fans, I think there are better options out there that deliver on this same concept.

Rating 5: Not for me. Too many tropes, clichés, and poor characterization to really make any sort of impact other than an eye roll.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Shadows That Listen” can be found on this Goodreads list: Dystopias I Would Like To Make An Exception For.

Serena’s Review: “Immortal Rose”

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Book: “Immortal Rose” by Alexandra Bracken

Publishing Info: Avon, August 2026

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

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

Book Description: Members of the ancient House Rosebourne have a strange gift born of a fairy ancestor: the ability to infuse fragrance with magic capable of manipulating mind, body, and emotion.

When a shocking murder leaves the kingdom of Albion vulnerable to a coup, royal spymaster Hugh Thornton seeks the one person who can help: Viola Lockwood, the last living Rosebourne and secret heir to a fraught legacy.

Livid at the silver-eyed aristocrat who had her thrown in jail to force her compliance, Viola nevertheless comes to an agreement with him. In exchange for crafting Immortal Rose, the singular perfume capable of saving Albion, illegitimate Viola can seize the life—and fortune—that should have been hers.

As Hugh and Viola race to find the perfume’s lost fairy ingredient, hidden deep in Albion’s dark underbelly, neither can deny the scorching attraction building between them—especially as the attempts on Viola’s life grow increasingly brazen.

But a terrible truth lurks in the heart notes of their kingdom—and while every bargain has a cost, Immortal Rose may demand more than Hugh and Viola can ever pay.

Review: Often when I talk about pacing, it’s in a negative light. But this book was one of those nice examples of pacing done right. What’s more, it was pacing done right across many aspects of the book, including individual character arcs, the romantic arc, as well as the world-building and storytelling itself.

To speak to the pacing in regard to the story and the world-building, I enjoyed the way the author introduced this world. Through some very clever early scenes, the reader is fed a boatload of world-building information, from how the magic of this world works, to the hierarchies at play within it, all the way down to some basic logistics about the sort of fantasy world this is (seems obvious, but I’ve read fantasy novels where I go in assuming it’s a high fantasy world and then am surprised around the 25% mark by some random mention of jeans!).

But all of this information is doled out carefully through a mix of dialogue, inner thought, and description, avoiding long info dumps. What’s more, the author does a good job of sprinkling in action throughout, so even while the reader is being inundated with new information, the story still feels lively and that things are happening at a steady pace.

I also really enjoyed the pacing of the character development. We aren’t told everything that drives the characters from the start, and instead must peel back layers as the story continues to discover what depths they contain. Notably, neither character is a perfect individual, and we see them grow and change over the course of the story.

This is particularly the case with the development of the romance. These two do not meet under the best of circumstances, and the story doesn’t rush the slowly changing feelings between them. It’s a true slow-burn romance, and part of it hinges on the characters reevaluating both themselves and their actions, as well as the other person. It made the payoff when things come together toward the end all the better.

That said, there were a few moments where I struggled a bit with the way plot points played out. There were times where characters behaved in ways that only made sense because the story needed to hit some particular beat. These were always frustrating to see, as so much of the rest of the book felt tightly written.

Overall, however, I enjoyed this read! I thought it was a refreshing example of a true slow-burn romance, and I appreciated the time and thought that the author put into the development of these characters and this world. Nothing felt like cardboard cutouts (either characters or plotlines) that are simply there to get the story to check off certain trope lists. Definitely give it a go if you’re looking for a more polished romantasy read!

Rating 8: A great example of a romantasy novel that commits to a true slow-burn love story!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Immortal Rose” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Regency Romantasy and whimsical romantasy books.