Category: Serena’s Reviews

Serena’s Review: “Upon a Starlit Tide”

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Book: “Upon a Starlit Tide” by Kell Woods

Publishing Info: Tor Books, Feb. 2025

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

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

Book Description: For Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of one of Saint-Malo’s wealthiest ship-owners, the high walls of the city are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are interested in securing advantageous marriages, Luce dreams of escaping her elegant but stifling home and joining a ship’s crew. Only Samuel—Luce’s best friend and an English smuggler—understands her longing for the sea, secretly teaching her to sail whenever she can sneak away. For Luce, the stolen time on the water with Samuel is precious.

One stormy morning, Luce’s plans are blown off course when she rescues Morgan de Chatelaine, the youngest son of the most powerful ship-owner in Saint-Malo, from the sea. Immediately drawn to his charm and sense of adventure, she longs to attend the glittering ball held in honor of his safe return and begins to contemplate a different kind of future for herself.

But it is not only Luce’s hopes at stake—the local fae are leaving Brittany and taking their magic with them, while the long-standing war with the English means Saint-Malo is always at risk of attack. As Luce is plunged into a world of magic, brutality, and seduction, secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface. The truth of her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.

Or the scales of a sea-maid’s tail.

Review: I didn’t love the first book I read by this author. I don’t often talk about transitions in my reviews, but “After the Woods” really highlighted how important a basic technique like this is to good storytelling. I often found myself confused by sudden shifts in focus and disjointed pacing. The characters were also fairly inconsistent. That said, between these struggle points, if you squinted, it was possible to see some true lyricism and style to the writing. With that being the case (and the fact that I’ve yet to come across a truly great re-telling of “The Little Mermaid”) I picked this one up with a hefty dose of wariness but also my usual hope. And wow, am I glad I did!

There are so many places to start with this one! But first and foremost, this is an excellent fairytale fantasy story. It perfectly captures the magical tone found in that sort of story, but also includes the necessary balance points of mild horror and, of course, swoon-worthy romance. I will say, this is rather loosely connected to “The Little Mermaid.” Other than the fact that she’s, you know, a mermaid, there’s not a whole lot of the original tale to be found here, other than a few familiar scenes that, even then, play out in a very different context than they do in the original. On top of that, the story also includes a nod to the “Cinderella” story, leaving the book as an interesting mash up of the two.

But first and foremost, I think this story much more closely lines up with selkie/seal wife fairytales. Like those stories, this one focus heavily on longing, wildness, and freedom. And it is here that the romanticism and lyricism of the writing really shines. The beauty and horror of the sea neatly aligned against the beauty and horror of humanity. And with Luce in the middle, a child of both worlds who struggles to understand herself and where she fits, torn between the great loves of the sea and her family and the man she grows to love. This could be a simplistic story, but there was such a depth of heart to Luce that the entire affair felt poignant and wondrous throughout.

As I mentioned, there were also some horror moments included, perhaps more than I had expected. Again, we were exposed to horror in the more fantastical sense, but it was the actions of the people that were truly despicable. The story’s strong foundation in a historical time and place truly reinforced these human-made horror moments, as some of the more powerful scenes drew from events/actions that were truly carried out.

I also want to heap immense praise on the author for her handling of the love triangle. I don’t want to spoil the way that this plot line plays out, but Woods is clearly winking at readers as she twists her way through some of the common romantasy tropes found in these sorts of stories and with these sorts of characters. And, best of all, she correctly identified when to give up the triangle altogether and allow the true romance to move forward. This is a stand-alone book, after all, so it was great that we were given what felt like a good chunk of time with the primary couple, initial love triangle bedamned.

One small criticms here would be that as these two “romances” were getting started, it felt like Luce’s feelings came a bit out of nowhere, especially for one of them. As the story continued, we were given more of a foundation to build upon. But those initial points of interest felt a bit instalust-y. However, they were saved by the lovely story that followed that delved into the tragedy and beauty of Luce’s position as a child of the sea who loves a man of the land.

I loved this book, if you can’t tell! As much as I love gobbling up books from authors who have a long list of solid titles, there’s something special about finding a great one from an author you didn’t connect with the first go-around. I can pretty much confirm now that this one will end up on my “Top 10” list for the year!

Rating 9: Like the exploring the sea itself, plumbing the dark depth of this book’s mysteries is an adventure into a world of beauty and romance! Perfect for all fairytale fans!

“Upon a Starlit Tide” can be found on these Goodreads lists: The Little Mermaid Retellings and My favorite Fairytale Fantasy novels.

Serena’s Review: “Wooing the Witch Queen”

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Book: “Wooing the Witch Queen” by Stephanie Burgis

Publishing Info: Bramble, February 2025

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

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

Book Description: Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…

Little does Saskia know that the “wizard” she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he’s in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?

Review: When I requested this one, I expected a fairly straight forward fantasy romance story. If I was lucky, I was hoping the humor would click and this would nail down the “fantasy romcom” vibes that it was giving off. Not only did those things turn out well, but the book actually explored some really interesting ideas regarding gender roles and romance.

As that’s the most interesting commentary I have to offer on this book, let’s jump straight into it. It wasn’t until about a third or maybe even halfway in that I really began to hone in on the approach the author was taking in her depiction of these characters and the roles they played with regards to one another. It was incredibly subtle, but as I read, more and more I became aware of the fact that Saskia, in particular, was being presented through the lens that we are more accustomed to seeing the romantic hero through.

When thinking of Fabian, she (rightly) sees her self as the more powerful of the pair, thus often focusing on the protective feelings she has towards him. And, similar to the romance heroes we all know and love, she would often internally and out loud make threats to any who would attempt to harm him. Even down to smaller concerns with regards to his feelings and the way others treat him, she very much takes on the role of guardian. Further, when thinking of Fabian, while appreciating all aspects of him, she regards his physical form with the same sort of interest and regard that we expect to see from the male POV more often than not. For his part, Fabian plays a much “softer” role, often focused on caregiver roles, like ensuring that Saskia eats when she gets caught up in her magical work.

Interesting, this role reversal carried over into the spicy scenes as well, with Saskia taking on the more more “dominant” (though I’m not sure that’s quite the right word) role. I won’t go into details of how this all presents, but it’s the kind of thing that you’ll definitely notice if you’ve been catching these gender role swaps throughout the book earlier.

This was such an interesting take on a romantic pairing and really made me think about the sort of actions, behaviors, and even thoughts that I typically think of as “male” in romance novels. Nothing Saskia or Fabian say or do has anything to do with their sex, but it’s also clear that, as a reader, I’m used to seeing certain behaviors from only really the men and others from only really the women. Again, the biggest props of all goes to the subtly with which the author explores these themes. It’s entirely possible to read this book as a fun, romantasy romp and thinking nothing of any of these topics because the story is fun and the characters still read as completely natural and fully fleshed out.

As for the rest of the story, the other big pro that stood out was the humor. I really enjoyed the balance of the comedy with the love story and action portions. It was sprinkled into the story at just the right moments, and I feel like the tone of the comedy worked perfectly with the sort of twisted fairytale we were getting.

Some of the larger plot points were perhaps a bit predictable and derivative, but as the story doesn’t set out to be an overly complex fantasy world, I was happy with what we got. I was also interested in the two other “evil” queens we met. There were moments in this book where I found both to read a bit like caricatures (easy enough to happen with side characters who get very little ultimate page time), but there were also hints to more complexity to be found there once we get to their individual stories. We even get a mini look at what’s to come in the next book at the very end of this one, and I’m definitely looking forward to checking that one out!

Overall, if you’re looking for a fun romantasy read that hits your “Wicked”-deprived heart, this is definitely one to check out!

Rating 8: If you’re having withdrawals from “Wicked,” have I got the book for you! Swoon-worthy and laugh-out-loud funny, this book is a perfect fit for romantasy readers looking for a great twisted fairytale!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Wooing the Witch Queen” can be found on these Goodreads lists: [ATY 2025] Witches, Goddesses, or Nuns and Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2025.

Serena’s Review: “The Outcast Mage”

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Book: “The Outcast Mage” by Annabel Campbell

Publishing Info: Orbit, January 2025

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

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

Book Description: In the glass city of Amoria, magic is everything. And Naila, student at the city’s legendary academy, is running out of time to prove she can control hers. If she fails, she’ll be forced into exile, relegated to a life of persecution with the other magicless hollows. Or worse, be consumed by her own power.

When a tragic incident further threatens her place at the Academy, Naila is saved by Haelius Akana, the most powerful living mage. Finding Naila a kindred spirit, Haelius stakes his position at the Academy on teaching her to harness her abilities. But Haelius has many enemies, and they would love nothing more than to see Naila fail. Trapped in the deadly schemes of Amoria’s elite, Naila must dig deep to discover the truth of her powers or watch the city she loves descend into civil war.

For there is violence brewing on the wind, and greater powers at work. Ones who could use her powers for good… or destroy everything she’s ever known.

Review: I think this book will be one of those odd reads that really works for certain fantasy readers, but then fails to connects to a bunch of others. To start with, the book throws readers into the deep end of an entirely new fantasy world. I’m on the record as very much enjoying this approach to world-building in fantasy, but it’s also a big ask of many more casual readers. For the most part, this approach worked for me here as well. I was more than happy to go along with the story and characters slowly piecing things together as they came.

What didn’t work, however, was that further into the book we did start getting more overt details into these world-building portions. Unfortunately, they often came in long chunks of straight exposition and info-dumping. These larger bits of explanation also came fairly far into the story, meaning that for the readers who would appreciate the straight presentation of facts rather than the immersive nature of the beginning, there’s a decent chance they might have already put the book down by the point they show up.

I also ended up struggling to enjoy many of the characters in this book. For the pros, I very much enjoy mentor/mentee relationships, so I really liked the portions of the book that focused on these two characters. I will also say that there is very little to no romance in this book, so it’s a great option for readers who perhaps feel overwhelmed by the amount of romance in fantasy recently (not me, but I know these readers exist, haha!).

That said, there were simply too many POV characters in this book. I know that I personally have a fairly low bar for the number of characters I want to follow during a book. It typically tops out at around 3, and by far I prefer a single POV altogether. But here there were, I think, 5 or 6 different characters we followed. By necessity, some of those got more page time than others, which often directly influenced my interest in their various stories. However, the sheer overwhelming number of them ultimately decreased my ability to connect to any of them. Beyond that, as I read, it began to be hard to differentiate between them, leaving me unsure of whose story I was finding halfway through a chapter. Again, this is a very subjective take, and I know a lot of fantasy readers enjoy large casts of characters. But it didn’t work for me here.

So this was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the world that was introduced, but there were too many info dumps to make it smooth sailing. And I really like the focus on the mentor/mentee relationship, but there were too many other characters distracting from these two’s stories that I watered down the entire affair. I’ll likely stick around for the next book, as I’m definitely curious to see where the story goes from here.

Rating 7: A lot of potential and a strong central relationship was a bit hampered by shaky world-building and too many POVs to keep up with.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Outcast Mage” can be found on this Goodreads list: All the New Fantasy Books Arriving in January 2025.

Serena’s Review: “The Forest King’s Daughter”

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Book: “The Forest King’s Daughter” by Elly Blare

Publishing Info: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, February 2025

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

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

Book Description: Once upon a time, among the bloodred trees of Thirstwood, a young forest princess became friends with a lonely demon boy. He gifted her an amber ring, a worthless trinket…or so he thought…because no sooner did he slide it onto her finger than the demon queen and forest king declared war.

Years later, Cassia is a crucial force in her father’s army, wielding her ring of light that can blind and disorient hundreds of demons at a time. Then battle-hardened Zeru abducts her, planning to steal the ring back to fix his costly childhood mistake. Exhausted, terrified, and more than a little mistrusting, Cassia is forced to travel with Zeru to a place they both believed only existed in storybooks, one where their childhood friendship slowly rekindles into something much more. But it’s only a matter of time before the war they’ve escaped comes for them, and a hidden threat to forest folk and demons alike grows in the shadows.

From the author of the Frostblood Saga comes the first book in an enchanting, adventure-filled fantasy series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, sure to leave readers breathless and desperate for more.

Review: This was an obvious book request for me! Everything about the summary above sounds like it has been tailored for me. Further, I’ve had a lot of good luck with Little Brown Books and their selection of YA fantasy. They seem to curate an author list that often produces some of my favorites in this genre and reading age. So how did this one turn out? Let’s dive in!

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I did have complaints here and there, but for the most part, this was a fun ride. Right from the start, I enjoyed the writing style, which had the sort of lyrical, fairytale quality that I prefer in fantasy stories like this. The two main characters were also introduced in an interesting way, with the reader first meeting them as children when they are unlikely friends. And then later, after things go terribly wrong, when they are older teens/adults on opposite sides of a war. It was a nice twist on the typical enemies-to-lovers romance plot, with the additional factor of initial friendship and trust from when they were children complicating their perspectives as adults.

I will say, in what would be a bit of a recurring problem throughout, there were some frustrating moments when both Cassia and Zeru made some truly wild leaps of logic and interpretation with regards to their shared history. In fact, one of my primary complaints about the book as a whole was the discordant feeling of these two main characters. For the majority of the book, each are written as highly competent, mature individuals. But then, on a fairly regular basis, they would each come up with the most ridiculous interpretation of the events surrounding them or the other’s motivations of intentions. It was the kind of writing where you could see the authors fingers all up in the narrative. The characters NEEDED to think a certain way to justify the arc of the story and romance. But in any reality, it made no sense to do so. Cassia, in particular, was incredibly naïve, especially about her father, way past the point of believability.

That said, I did actually enjoy the romance itself. When I started the book, I thought I had a pretty good grasp on how things would play out. Instead, the author swooped in with a major jump shift halfway through the book, re-positioning the stakes and, essentially, the world-building of this entire story. And through these changes, the romance itself veered into new and interesting territory. There was a bit of a “cake and eat it too” plot point with regards to Zeru and Cassia’s process of moving through their trust issues, but as the entire concept was so creative, I’ll give it a pass.

There were also some decent twists and turns in the larger conflict between the elves and demons. While some of the villains were plainly obvious from the start, there were a few twists with regards to other characters’ motivations that were revealed closer to the end. The pacing and plotting, overall, was steady throughout, and any moment where I began to become frustrated with some of the character inconsistency was quickly glossed over by another exciting story beat.

This is a solid YA fantasy story, and I think it’s well worth checking out if you’re looking for an original entry in the genre!

Rating 8: A few frustrations with character inconsistency aside, this was a lovely fairytale-like romance story with a surprisingly unique take on several classic fantasy tropes.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Forest King’s Daughter” can be found on this Goodreads list: Romantasy TBR 2025

Serena’s Review: “Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales”

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Book: “Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales” by Heather Fawcett

Publishing Info: Del Rey, February 2025

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

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

Book Description: Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

Review: I know I had a bit of a rough patch there, with several reviews back to back that were middling at best and often downright negative. But I did have one shining light through it all, and it was the fact that the third Emily Wilde book was releasing only a few weeks later! And finally, here we are!

The tough thing about writing reviews for series like this is the fact that when you have book after book that hits a home run, you start to run out of things to praise. What do you say when the author already has such a solid hand on the wheel, striking a perfect balance of world-building, immersive character arcs, and thrilling, fairytale-like story features? I guess one thing that can always be said is that by the third book, you know for sure it’s not just a fluke. Heather Fawcett is just this good, and Emily and Wendell are just this great as characters. And the romance is just this well done, even here, in the THIRD book, without a silly break-up or offensively mind-numb “miscommunication trope” in sight!

The strength of the romantic progression seen in this book truly demonstrates the strength of Emily and Wendell as their own established characters. We don’t need contrived plotting to drive the story. Instead, their relationship is tested by very real factors stemming from their own priorities and insecurities. Emily struggles to balance her scholarly ambitions with her new role as an incoming Queen of Faerie. Further, she sees Wendell in a new light, now that he is returned to his homeland, and must reconcile the two versions she knows, finding ways to bring her own wealth of knowledge to the forefront in their political challenges.

For his part, we see a very different Wendell here as well. He is still the lovably frivolous and rather self-centered character that we’ve come to know and adore. However, we also see more flashes of the dangerous aspects of his character. Beyond that, we see a new layer to him, as he comes into his own with the responsibilities of caring for his land, his people, and, of course, Emily (who would insist that she needs to caring for!).

There were so many excellent romantic beats, particularly from Wendell, that hit all of the right notes! Each book has been more romantic than the last, and this one was no exception. I love the way the relationship between these two progressed, while also very much staying the same, with each internally rolling their eyes at the other near constantly, while externally pledging undying support in whatever crazy pursuits they come up with next.

I also really enjoyed the main story we got here. I wasn’t quite sure where this book would go after the events of the second book. In many ways, that felt like the end of an excellent duology. But I was pleased to see that there was still plenty to explore in this world, including a hefty dose of danger and darkness. I will say, that like the two books before it, this one does have strange pacing towards the end.

Pacing is always tough, because it’s hard to explain exactly what is meant when you talk about it. But, on the other hand, a reader will often recognize strange pacing when they see it. And now in all three of these books, there has been this strange feeling of the book leading up to and hitting (perfectly, I might add) the climax of the story around the 75% mark. And then…the book just continues and an entirely new mini-adventure starts up and becomes the true end of the book. I always enjoy the story as a whole, including these final storylines. But they do sit oddly within the greater structure of the story. Perhaps, that initial 75% climax mark just hits too hard? But then, these are always incredibly impactful moments, and to lessen them would be a disservice. So, I’m not sure. Maybe just a strange feature, rather than a bug.

Overall, this one hit it out of the park! I’ve loved every minute I’ve spent with Emily and Wendell in this world, and this third book was no different! If I had to rank them, I’d say that the first one was still the best (as first books almost always are), but then this third one comes in right on its heels. But, as I adored the second book as well, this sort of ranking is ultimately rather meaningless. If you’ve enjoyed this series so far, boy, are you in for a treat!

Rating 9: Like Emily Wilde herself, Heather Fawcett is a force in her field! Everything a reader could hope for from a fairytale fantasy: dark forests, deep curses, and a desperately romantic love story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales” can be found on this Goodreads list: New In 2025.

Serena’s Review: “A Circle of Uncommon Witches”

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

Book: “A Circle of Uncommon Witches” by Paige Crutcher

Publishing Info: St. Martin’s Griffin, February 2025

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

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

Book Description: Doreen MacKinnon is doomed to die of a broken heart – if she can’t break the centuries old curse placed on her family.

Three hundred years ago, Ambrose MacDonald, a powerful male witch, fell in love with a MacKinnon. And when the MacKinnon witches forbade him from seeing his love, by secretly hiding her away, he retaliated by cursing the family and its future generations to never find love. But it wasn’t without a cost. Now, Ambrose is imprisoned by those same witches, trapped in a tempest and doomed to outlive everyone he has ever loved.

But Doreen isn’t like the other MacKinnon witches. As the 13th generation of the MacKinnon line, Doreen is one of the most powerful witches in centuries… and one of the loneliest. So when she discovers where Ambrose has been trapped, she releases him to help her break the curse, once and for all. Ambrose agrees to help, but with his own motive: vengeance. He plans to use her as bait to enact his revenge on her family.

Together, they enter a series of trials, which take them to a castle in Scotland, off a cliff, and into a world beyond their wildest dreams. As they work together, sparks start to fly, but soon Doreen must choose how far she is willing to go to break the curse, and what she’s willing to sacrifice.

Review: Ever since falling in love with “Practical Magic” (both the book and the movie) as a teenager, I’ve always been chasing that high with regards to romantic witch stories. Alas, I’ve never quite found the same, well, magic, for lack of a better word! But, ever hopeful, I requested this one right away when I saw it slated for publication this spring!

To start with what I did like, if you step back from the book and look at the overall plot and the grander design of the world and romance, there was a lot to like. The curse itself was interesting, especially its exploration of the morality of the choice the MacKinnons face: do they ensnare a man to love them through magic or do they choose to die young? Both of these have obvious downsides, and the added factor of manipulated feelings and the guilt that this would cause with regards to the former choice were compelling.

That said, the way this curse, these characters, and this world were first introduced was incredibly disjointed and sloppy. Instead of building up a story and a character who, over the course of the plot, would feed us the necessary information with regards to the curse, we are simply spoon-fed an explanation of the history and curse in several exposition-heaving dialogue scenes early in the book. The best word to describe it is clunky. Beyond that, because some of these greater facts are being presented so early, before I had any time to center myself in this world or care about these characters, I couldn’t truly appreciate the stakes of the curse, which should be dramatic.

Beyond that, I think the romance played out rather poorly. It walks right up to the line of instalove and then seems to tap a toe over it. Nothing is egregious, but it also wasn’t built up in a natural manner. Again, I struggled to become invested in these characters, both alone or together. At the same time, given how quickly they seemed to fall for one another, the actual progression of the romance felt very drawn out. I prefer slow-burns, but if you’re going to write characters who instantly fall for one another, I’d rather they act on that sooner rather than later. Instead, we got a rather frustrating game of hot and cold as the story continued.

There was a lot of potential to be found here, and I’d definitely check out another book by this author. I think there was a lot of potential in this world and concept, but some weakness with regards to pacing and characterization. However, if you’re looking for a fun, fast, witchy romance, this may be one to check out!

Rating 7: An intriguing concept with the magical curse, however the pacing and introduction of the world-building was clunky at times.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Circle of Uncommon Witches” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Blessing and Cursing and Witchy Women.

Serena’s Review: “The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall”

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

Book: “The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall” by J. Ann Thomas

Publishing Info: Alcove Press, February 2025

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

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

Book Description: A young woman forced to live with ghosts in a mansion frozen in time must decide between forbidden love and the price of freedom in this gothic fantasy where Jane Eyre meets The Haunting of Bly Manor, perfect for fans of Starling House.

At Thorne Hall, a grand estate nestled in the Berkshires, fifteen restless spirits roam, bound within the mansion’s walls since the Gilded Age. Elegy Thorne bears the weight of her family’s curse to preserve the mansion as it was in the 1890s, using ancient folk songs to keep the spirits secret and silent in order to avoid deadly consequences.

When a mischievous child spirit wreaks havoc on the manor, the Thorne family calls upon their trusted preservationist to restore the mansion. He brings along his son, Atticus – a vibrant man full of life and ideas of modernization – and Elegy is captivated by him, igniting a longing for freedom she’s never dared to embrace.

Torn between her desire to follow her heart and her duty to her family and its legacy, Elegy begins searching for a way to release the spirit collection back to the afterlife and set both herself and the ghosts free. With century-old secrets, peculiar magic, and spirits both whimsical and deadly, Thorne Hall will haunt and enrapture readers—and you might just not want to leave.

Review: I love gothic fantasy, so when I read the description for this title, I knew it was one I’d want to check out! I have to admit, I was also a bit hesitant about how the modernity would work with everything else that was being promised. And, well, I just personally don’t love contemporary fiction, so there were ways that this could have went quite wrong, potentially. But, while it wasn’t quite the home run that I had hope for, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable read!

The book started off on an excellent note, hitting all of the historical and gothic vibes I could hope for! The language was lush and of the time, the splendor glittered, the horror spooked, and the mystery for the ongoing story was perfectly set up. This continued into the modern portion of the book when we first meet Elegy, and through her eyes, we meet the various ghoulish ghosts that make up the manor. I was most surprised here. While many of them were horrific and some of them downright evil, they were also given so much characterization and history that I became quite invested. I even found myself tearing up with some of the descriptions of the child ghosts and the reality of their experiences being trapped in this house.

I also enjoyed Elegy herself. She was an interesting character, being a young woman who is essentially living in a different time period than her contemporaries. Further, her future has always been charted for her, and its one that not only does she not want, but that she feels particularly ill-equipped to take on. The relationship between her and her father was quite toxic in all of the expected ways. However, there were also other relationships (such as the ones between herself and her friends/arranged fiancé and her step mother) that also took interesting twists and turns.

That said, I think the romantic relationship was by far the least successful. The love interest shows up, and it’s pretty much instalust/instalove right from the start. The author does give us a few throwaway lines here and there that this relationship built up more, but it’s all told to us, not shown. This comes in the form of long walks and hours spent talking together before the fire. But we’re not privy to much of this and are simply told after the fact that it happened and that Elegy now feels even closer than ever to him. As the plot progresses and the action picks up, we get to see a bit more of this development on the page, but it was still too little too late for me, as the entire foundation still felt weak.

The pacing itself was also a bit off. The first chapter, as I mentioned, is a banger. And then we meet Elegy and it feels like the story should continue at a decent clip. However, about a quarter of the way in, it feels like the brakes are slammed on, and it takes a long time for the actual plot to pick up again. Much of this time is instead devoted to these “long talks” that we don’t see and the continuation of the already-well-established feud between Elegy and her father figure. It takes quite a while for Elegy to move forward from her passive starting point. And while I think this hesitations is believable, it also made for a bit of a lagging reading experience.

It also feels like the author got a bit lost in the weeds with the blending of the historical and contemporary aspects of the story. I’m not sure if the contemporary setting really added to the story, as it necessitated various characters actively commenting on the oddness of Elegy’s habit of speaking and acting in a way that doesn’t line up with current standards. I’m not quite sure why it couldn’t have simply remained in the past, as the author clearly had a handle on that style of writing and it was the stronger of the two.

Overall, however, I still very much enjoyed this book! If you’re looking for a unique gothic fantasy story, this is definitely one to check out. It was more creepy than I had anticipated, but also more heart-wrenching, in the best way!

Rating 8: Full of shivers, both of the creepy and romantic variety!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall” can be found on this Goodreads list: Forthcoming Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, & Horror (2025-)

Serena’s Review: “The Beasts We Bury”

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Book: “The Beasts We Bury” by D. L. .Taylor

Publishing Info: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), February 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: Daughter and heir to the throne, Mancella Cliff yearns for a life without bloodshed. But as a child, she emerged from the Broken Citadel with the power to summon animals—only after killing them with her bare hands. Her magic is a constant reminder of the horrors her father, the ruler of the realm, has forced upon her to strengthen their power.

Silver is a charming thief struggling to survive in a world torn apart by Mancella’s father’s reign. When a mysterious benefactor recruits him for the heist of a lifetime, a chance to rob the castle, Silver relishes the opportunity for a real future—and revenge. But he’ll have to manipulate Mance and earn her trust to pull it off.

As the deception and carnage mount, Mance must find a way to save her realm without becoming the ruthless monster she’s been bred to be. And when Silver discovers that his actions are fueling the violence that Mance wants to prevent, he’ll have to choose between his ambition and the girl he’s falling for.

Review: I requested this one on a bit of a whim, largely due to the unique cover. I mean, who has seen a leopard made out of purple flowers on a book cover before? That said, I was also a bit hesitant, as I personally often struggle with shared POV novels, especially when they are YA. It’s tough to write one compelling character with a good story arc, let alone two in one book! But this book was here to prove why it’s always good to take a chance on a new author who may just prove that they’ve cracked the code!

And as I’ve already mentioned my typical struggle point, two POV characters sharing the lead of one YA fantasy novel, let’s just jump right into that point! I really enjoyed both of these characters! Not only did they each have rich back stories and compelling arcs throughout the novel in which they had to learn and grow, but they both had a distinct voice, making their chapters read as wholly unique to themselves. I was never confused about whose head I was in. I’d either be getting a hefty dose of Silver’s wit, craftiness, and struggles with the morality of his choices. Or I’d be in Mancella’s head, following her determination, her love/hate relationship with her powers, and her willingness to hope for and see the best in everyone around her, despite how often they let her down. I honestly couldn’t choose whose story I enjoyed more or was more invested in.

I will say, however, that I’m impressed with how well Silver was written. Here you have a character who is morally grey throughout much of the book and he’s up against another POV character who has incredibly unique and powerful magical abilities. It says something about the author’s strength as a writer that she was able to make Silver an equally compelling lead, sometimes even more so, given the nature of his history and the decisions he makes throughout this book.

Speaking of Mancella’s powers, I thought the fantasy elements in this book were incredibly good! There were familiar “abilities” here and there, but they were all twisted and used in creative and original ways. Obviously we spend the most time with Mancella herself, so we get a deep dive look into the extent and limitations of her powers. But as the story grows, so does our understanding of just what the possibilities are with a power like this. And, of course, the deep price that must be paid. But beyond our main character, there were also numerous other characters (villains and side characters, both) who had incredibly interesting abilities. There’s a fairly late reveal, in particular, that was very intriguing.

I also liked the balance between the romance and the action of the book. The author avoided instalove on the side of either of her characters. And while both slowly grow to trust and care for the other, they also never lose sight of their own goals or pre-existing relationships. All too often you see the romantic pairing fall in love and then seemingly lose interest in every other person they cared about previously in their life. Not so here. Instead, we have some nice looks into the challenges and joys of found family and sibling relationships.

Overall, this was a fun, fast read! It wasn’t necessarily breaking any boundaries as far as YA fantasy goes, but it was also leagues ahead of many other similar books I’ve read in the simple fact that the author created fully fleshed out characters who peopled an original and unique world and followed a well-paced plot. It’s refreshing to pick up a book like this and feel like you’re actually reading something new, and not just another “deadly magical competition” with an enemies-to-lovers instalove romance at its heart. If you’re looking for a solid, stand-alone YA fantasy novel, definitely give this one a go!

Rating 8: Absolutely charming and a breath of fresh air in the packed YA fantasy arena! D. L. Taylor is definitely one to keep an eye on!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Beasts We Bury” can be found on these Goodreads lists: YA Novels of 2025 and Romantasy TBR 2025.

Serena’s Review: “A Crown So Silver”

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Book: “A Crown So Silver” by Lyra Selene

Publishing Info: Orbit, January 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: After her sacrifice on the Ember Moon, Fia is flush with powerful magic and eager to rush into battle against her murderous sister, Eala. However, Fia’s new husband Irian suggests they bide their time and retreat to the Silver Isle, a snowy island at the edge of the fae world.

Ruled by the cunning smith-king, the Silver Isle proves far from a safe haven. Fia and Irian become embroiled in the Tournament of Kings competing for a magical forging of immense power. Their relationship will be put to the test as they navigate their conflicting motivations, shifting allegiances, and ancient magic.

With the end of the tournament looming and Eala’s threat growing, Fia must decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to defeat her sister.

Previously Reviewed: “A Feather So Black”

Review: This was a highly anticipated sequel for me going into 2025! I absolutely loved the first book, “A Feather So Black,” as it took me completely by surprise with its perfectly tuned fairytale vibes and ability to present both a competent heroine as well as a non-cringeworthy love triangle that resolved in a believable manner. There was also the set up for an excellent villain with the twist that came towards the end. And, well…alas.

I’m really going to try to restrain myself from devolving into an incoherent rant with this one. But man, it’s going to be hard! I would have disliked this book on its own, but as a sequel to one that I enjoyed so much?! It’s hard to swallow. To start from the more broad view, I think this is a perfect example of a series that was unnecessarily extended into a trilogy. I’m not sure if it was the publisher or this was always the author’s plan, but something went very wrong with the pacing and story-structure of this series when we got to this book.

Simply put: nothing much happens! We barely see some of the major characters from the first book (including the original love interest who by his own rights seemed to have an interesting arc set up to follow) or even much of the villain. What plot we do have devolves into what feels like an extended side quest with stakes largely disconnected from the greater conflict as a whole. And that’s not even touching the fact that the first third of this book seems to be one long string of spicy scenes, which could be fine on their own if it wasn’t for the incredibly disjointed feeling this brings to the pacing of this novel, to start so heavily in this and only this area.

This point gets to one of my major gripes, which is with the way the romance was handled. Which is to say, it wasn’t handled well at all. I will acknowledge that perhaps it is more challenging to write a romantic pairing after they have committed themselves to one another, but it is by no means impossible! Especially if you’ve already established your characters as individuals with thoughts, fears, and goals outside of the romance, as well as a greater overall threat that they must face together. Relationships don’t simply become smooth sailing the moment they get together, but at the same time, more and more romantasy authors seem to contort their characters into the most contrived positions possible all in pursuit of “tension” while at the the same time forfeiting all believability or consistency within the character themselves.

We have both main character behaving absolutely terribly to one another (often completely out of character on their own) and then, worst of all, we have the introduction of ANOTHER LOVE TRIANGLE! Look, book one got extra props for handling a love triangle in a good way. But now this one gets extra negatives for the sheer gall and lack of creativity on display in going back to the same well twice (not even the same love triangle, mind you! A completely new character is introduced!!) I almost put the book down for good once I saw this happening.

Fia also read as almost completely unrecognizable from the character we met in the first book. There, she had worked hard to gain the abilities she had, and she was aware of her limitations. Here, in one of the very first action scenes we get, we see her behaving like the most foolish of fools, complete with “snarky” comments of bravado followed by immediate regret as she realizes the idiocy of her decisions. In many ways, she suddenly read like the worst of teenage YA protagonists, rather than the adult woman she came across as in the first book.

I’m honestly not sure what happened here. My best guess still goes all the way back to what I said in the beginning, that there simply wasn’t enough story to justify this book. And, lacking any true plot, the author instead stuffed it full of angst between characters (much of which could have been resolved with frank discussions and empathy for one another) and added another ridiculous love triangle into the mix to boot.

If you enjoyed the first book, buckle in for this one! I guess if you really enjoy love triangles and romantic angst in the form of miscommunication, than you may enjoy this more than me. All I can say is that now I’m going into the third book pretty much peeping between my fingers. Will we get the hat trick of a THIRD love triangle??

Rating 5: Maybe it would have been a “6” on its own, but as it’s a massive letdown from the first book…well, here we are.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Crown so Silver” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Upcoming Sequels.

Serena’s Review: “The Night is Defying”

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Book: “The Night is Defying” by Chloe C. Penaranda

Publishing Info: Bramble, January 2025

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

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

Book Description: Shaken from the aftermath of the Libertatem, the newly found star-maiden Astraea is determined to keep her freedom, even at the cost of betraying her heart. But time is running out to recover her memories with the hole it will unveil her killer.

Embarking on a journey to discover her past, Astraea’s awakening power spins the hourglass on a history threatening to repeat itself. While Nyte tries to regain control of the vampires hungry for bloodshed, a sinister plan by his brother to overthrow him sparks a dangerous feud. But are they willing to wear the blood of their kin to see it through?

For nothing in the past ever stays buried. Friends have turned into foes, brothers have turned into enemies, and what was written in the stars long ago ignites again in two hearts that were never meant to be. Letting Astraea go would save the world from darkness, but Nyte is no hero. It seems no monster is heartless, and no angel is without sin.

Previously Reviewed: “The Stars are Dying”

Review: While I struggled with the first book in this series, I did like the lyrical approach to some of the writing. One of my major complaints also revolved around the passive nature of the heroine, due to her lack of memories. As a sequel, I had high hopes that this last point could be improved upon, so I wanted to see where the story and romance would go!

So, while this didn’t rocket into becoming one of my favorites series ever, I can confirm that I did like it more than the first. Astraea made small steps towards becoming a more compelling heroine with more drive of her own to take control of her life and her choices. Did she still seem to need constant reassurance that she was capable? Yes. There were numerous pep talks throughout. But at least she also seemed to more fully come into her own as a character.

I also think the addition of Nyte’s (I still can’t with that name) POV helped the book. Having another character’s head to occupy, one who was less confused, distrusting, and passive really helped balance out the overall tone of the story. At the same time, however, sometimes it felt like his entire personality was simple adoration of everything Astraea said or did. I don’t enjoy artificial conflict or drama, but it also felt a bit too “gushy” for my taste. Added depth of his own, some more reflection on his relationships with other people, etc. all would have helped flesh him out a bit more.

However, the pacing continues to be a problem with this series. Like the first book, parts of this book really do drag, feeling as if the author is padding out the content with repetitive inner monologues and reflections (see the numerous pep talks). If you actually sit down and diagram out the action of this book, there’s very little actually there. In many ways, I think both books could have been condensed into one, much more tight, and successful narrative. As a fantasy reader, I obviously love series. But if there isn’t enough story to justify multiple books, an excellent stand-alone is always preferable to books that have been stretched too thin to make up a duology/trilogy/what have you.

Overall, this was an ok sequel. If you enjoyed the first book, than I’m sure you’ll love this one. If the first wasn’t really to our taste, this one does improve in some ways, but it also continues to struggle with regards to pacing and the passivity of its lead character.

On a secondary note, I realize that I’ve had a string of rather lackluster reviews now for the last several weeks! It really does seem like there are serious troughs that you hit every once in a while where nothing seems to be really clicking. I do try to space them out when I find myself in a situation like that. However, sometimes it’s unavoidable due to publication dates. Be assured, I’m well into my reading for February and there are several great reads heading your way!

Rating 7: While baby steps were made to allow the heroine more personal agency, the book still struggled with slower pacing and a romance that lacked tension.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Night is Defying” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists, but it should be on Romtantasy TBR 2025.