Kate’s Review: “Bochica”

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Book: “Bochica” by Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro

Publishing Info: Atria/Primero Sueno Press, May 2025

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

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

Book Description: A real-life Latin American haunted mansion. A murky labyrinth of family secrets. A young, aristocratic woman desperate to escape her past. This haunting debut gothic horror novel is perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic and The Shining.

In 1923 Soacha, Colombia, La Casona—an opulent mansion perched above the legendary Salto del Tequendama waterfall—was once home to Antonia and her family, who settle in despite their constant nightmares and the house’s malevolent spirit. But tragedy strikes when Antonia’s mother takes a fatal fall into El Salto and her father, consumed by grief, attempts to burn the house down with Antonia still inside.

Three years later, haunted by disturbing dreams and cryptic journal entries from her late mother, Antonia is drawn back to her childhood home when it is converted into a luxurious hotel. As Antonia confronts her fragmented memories and the dark history of the estate, she wrestles with unsettling questions she can no longer Was her mother’s death by her own hands, or was it by someone else’s?

In a riveting quest for answers, Antonia must navigate the shadows of La Casona, unearthing its darkest secrets and confronting a legacy that threatens to swallow her whole.

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

Anyone who knows me or has been reading this blog for awhile knows that I really adore Gothic stories, especially if they are within the horror genre. Isolated settings, tormented heroines, questions of hauntings or ghosts or hallucinations, I love it all. So obviously the book “Bochica” by Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro really called out to me, given that not only is it a Gothic story with a mansion that has a haunting history, it’s also in the jungles of Colombia! In the early part of the 20th Century! All of this is just catnip to me, and I had been really looking forward to digging in once it was getting closer to review time.

I absolutely loved the setting of this book. For one, I really enjoyed the time and place, with the focus on Colombia in the 1920s and 1930s, centered mostly in a Gothic mansion nestled in the jungle by a large waterfall (based on an actual mansion that has its own history that somewhat mirrors this story). I love Gothic stories, and to have one centered with a Latin American backdrop and a rich and complex historical basis really compelled me. I loved the way that Flórez-Cerchiaro paints a portrait of this opulent hotel with a dark history, and how I could just see it all come to life as I read the book. I also greatly enjoyed the histories that this story touched upon, whether it was the Muisca mythology and folklore, as well as the ways that the book would touch upon colonialism and imperialism, and the role that the Catholic Church has played in such things ever since the Spanish-led conquest/genocide in this area. There are also some creepy and eerie moments that really unnerved me, with strange shadowy figures or weird moments in the dark.

On the flip side, outside of our main character Antonia, I wasn’t really blown away by our cast of characters, as everyone that wasn’t her didn’t really interest me or feel well expanded upon. Whether it was a complicated relationship between Antonia and her father Ricardo that felt limp, or a romantic connection between Antonia and her love interest/journalist Alejandro that never really crackled, or even an antagonist with secrets in Doña Pereira, who has a past connection to Antonia and her mother and has taken over El Salto as a hotel, none of the characters really did much for me, and the way that Antonia interacted with any of them just didn’t really take off. And because of that, my reading experience never felt very high stakes, and I wasn’t as engrossed with the story as much as I had hoped I would be. I think that going in with a lot of high hopes set it up for a bit of a free fall when they weren’t met, and while I would certainly recommend this book as a Gothic horror story with a unique POV, it doesn’t really stand out beyond that.

A bit of a mixed bag. I definitely suggest checking it out if you have been thinking about it, but the comparisons to other stories like “The Shining” and “Mexican Gothtic” aren’t quite on point.

Rating 7: The setting is eerie and very unique with great explorations of the history of the area, but the characters were kind of flat, and I was never fully pulled in. Overall, lots of potential, but it didn’t quite channel it.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Bochica” is included on the Goodreads list “Horror to Look Forward to in 2025”.

Joint Review: “Overgrowth”

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Book: “Overgrowth” by Mira Grant

Publishing Info: Tor Nightfire, May 2025

Where Did We Get This Book: Kate received an eARC from NetGalley,

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

Book Description: Annihilation meets Day of the Triffids in this full-on body horror/alien invasion apocalypse.

This is just a story. It can’t hurt you anymore.

Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been telling anyone who would listen that she’s an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth is coming for her. Since she was three years old, no one has been willing to listen.

Now, with an alien signal from the stars being broadcast around the world, humanity is finally starting to realize that it’s already been warned, and it may be too late. The invasion is coming, Stasia’s biological family is on the way to bring her home, and very few family reunions are willing to cross the gulf of space for just one misplaced child.

What happens when you know what’s coming, and just refuse to listen?

Kate’s Thoughts

I have read a fair amount of Mira Grant, and have mostly enjoyed basically all of the stories I have read! I really enjoyed the “Feed” Series, and also liked “Into the Drowning Deep”, and I always find her horror stories fun and incredibly readable. So when Serena approached me asking if I wanted to do a joint review of her newest book “Overgrowth”, I immediately jumped on board. Sure it sounded a bit more Science-Fiction-y, but at the same time the idea of plant aliens invading Earth sounded a lot like “Little Shop of Horrors”! And plus, it was Mira Grant! I had high hopes!

Me picking up this book, before disaster inevitably struck (source).

But. I did not like this book. What did I like? Well, I did like the little nods to “Little Shop”, including Stasia having a cat named Seymour, which REALLY tickled me. And I liked that Grant continues to do a bang up job of having great rep for LGBTQIA+ characters in her books, this time having Graham, Stasia’s trans boyfriend, being a well rounded and compelling player in the story. I even liked the way that Grant draws comparisons between the treatment of marginalized groups being Othered with Stasia and her own Othering as an alien who never hides who she is, and is seen as weird and treated as such by others.

But the not so good. The first thing is that the pacing is a bit stilted. It can go from feeling like it’s lagging and slow, to going WAY too fast by the end (once we got to the invasion itself, VERY close to the end of the book, it was warp speed, and that was jarring). The second thing is that this is definitely more heavy on the Sci-Fi than it is horror, and that genre just isn’t for me outside of some very VERY specific parameters. But the biggest issue for me includes a spoiler, even if it’s very early in the story and will be clear pretty quickly, but still, be warned: SPOILER ALERT. We have a very gruesome scene almost right away in which a three year old little girl gets consumed by an alien plant, in lots of really unsettling and upsetting detail. With little to no warning. This is just the kind of stuff that I really can’t abide anymore in books that I read, and had I known that it was going to include that, I wouldn’t have read it. Is this probably more of a ‘me’ problem than a problem with the book? Yeah, almost assuredly. But it really turned me off, and there wasn’t really any recovery in regards to my reading experience, so my review stands as such.

Will “Overgrowth” work for others? Yeah, probably! But for me, I didn’t enjoy it.

Serena’s Thoughts

I largely agree with Kate. While I have read Mira Grant’s “Feed” series, I’m more familiar with Seanan McGuire (Mira Grant is her pen name for most of her horror and horror adjacent titles) and her fantasy works, all of which I’ve enjoyed to some extent or another. But yeah, this one was a struggle.

Kate already touched on the pacing, and I completely agree with her assessment there. I’ll also add that tonally the book felt equally out of sync as it did with its pacing. It starts out in an incredibly dark and gruesome manner (I’ll also talk a bit of spoilers in my last paragraph and will warn you ahead of time!) and then ends in a way that, I felt, was also pretty dark. But in between it seemed to be almost going for a romcom-like tone? There were a bunch of quirky characters and found family moments and much more emphasis on the love story than I had been expecting. Of course, I’m never one to complain about a love story, but, again, the romcom-like tone of the love story sat uncomfortably alongside the more serious aspects of, you know, the world being invaded by plant aliens.

I didn’t mind the science fiction elements nearly as much as Kate (obviously, since this is a preferred genre of mine). But at the same time, there’s a reason I don’t read horror, and for me, this book highlighted my struggles with that genre. So, it’s kind of funny in how predictably Kate and I reacted, with regards to our priors of genre preference! Mostly, this came down to the darker aspects of the horror elements. By no means do I need every book to wrap up with flowers and rainbows, but I also tend to struggle with the horror genre with the morally grey/questionable/is it really over?? type endings that you sometimes find. And this one…yeah, I couldn’t feel great about any of it. However, I do want to applaud the author for following through on her concept.

Likewise, and here come the spoilers, I had similar feelings about the beginning. Right away, you know it’s going to a dark place in that first chapter. And she GOES THERE. So, on one hand, I can appreciate that she didn’t shy away from the horrific nature of what she was writing. But on the other hand, yeah…I, too, could have lived without reading this scene. I don’t think I’m overly sentimental as a mother, but there are definitely new lines that I really try to avoid crossing in my media consumption, and this was a perfect illustration of that exact line. Beyond the scene itself being hard to read, I never really recovered. I know it’s not the main character’s “fault” that this happened, but I couldn’t ever really invest in her either, with this horrible image constantly in my mind. Like Kate said, this was definitely a personal reaction to this scene, and other readers may not struggle with it as much.

So, there ya go. Unfortunately, this one didn’t really work for either of us. But I also think it’s one of those reads that others may enjoy much more!

Kate’s Rating 4: This just didn’t work for me, in spite of the “Little Shop of Horrors” nods and the well done representation of queer and trans characters. I had high hopes that weren’t met.

Serena’s Rating 5: I think that trigger warnings can definitely go too far and get into spoiler territory sometimes, but one definitely could have been used here! Other than that, some mismatches in tone and pacing also let this read down for me.

Reader’s Advisory

“Overgrowth” is included on the Goodreads list “2025 Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction”.

Serena’s Review: “Labyrinth’s Heart”

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Book: “Labyrinth’s Heart” by M. A. Carrick

Publishing Info: Orbit, Aug. 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: Ren came to Nadežra with a plan. She would pose as the long-lost daughter of the noble house Traementis. She would secure a fortune for herself and her sister. And she would vanish without a backward glance. She ought to have known that in the city of dreams, nothing is ever so simple.

Now, she is Ren, con-artist and thief. But she is also Renata, the celebrated Traementis heir. She is Arenza, the mysterious pattern-reader and political rebel. And she is the Black Rose, a vigilante who fights alongside the legendary Rook. 

Even with the help of Grey Serrado and Derossi Vargo, it is too many masks for one person to wear. And as the dark magic the three of them helped unleash builds to storm that could tear the very fabric of the city apart, it’s only a matter of time before one of the masks slips—and everything comes crashing down around them.

Previously Reviewed: “The Mask of Mirrors” and “The Liar’s Knot”

Review: This will be another tough review to write, but for different reasons than I usually experience. I’ve absolutely loved this trilogy so far. In hindsight, I almost want to go back and give both of the other books 10 ratings! They’re the kind of stories that have characters who stick with you, popping up in my mind long after I’ve turned the last page. So it’s a weird situation to now finish up the trilogy and…just like it, not adore it! The struggle in writing up my thoughts, then, is that I may come across as more critical than the book deserves on its own merits. It’s still an excellent book in the end!

I’ll start with the unequivocal good parts. The writing. Across the board, all three books have been so incredibly well written. Natural dialogue, vivid descriptions, and a steady hand at the wheel throughout, never losing a sense of tone or place, even while balancing a million characters, cultures, and magic systems. It’s even more impressive that two authors worked together to write this! It’s absolutely seamless, and I have to wonder how they even pulled it off.

Beyond that, the world-building continues to impress. This is a fully-formed world, complete with various cultures and peoples, all with long histories that we see impacting the choices made today. Further, there are no purely good or purely evil sides to many of the complicated situations that arise. The authors carefully navigate the concepts of necessary revolution while equally condemning wanton violence or the easy slip into simply swapping positions, leaving the wrong-doing still present, if now in different hands. Extremism is rightfully identified and denounced, no matter the histories involved, and instead a focus on working together and living alongside those who are different is clearly emphasized.

The story also started out just as strong as the rest. Indeed, for the first third of the book, I was convinced that this would also end up as a 9 or 10 level read for me. This section had all the hallmarks of what I loved from the first two books: a clever Ren, a morally grey Vargo, and an emphasis on characterization, giving the reader ample opportunity to see even small moments play out between all the characters we’ve come to love so thoroughly. It was only as the book continued that I began to have problems, and it really came down to two things: Ren’s character arc (to lesser extent, Vargo as well), and the attempt to wrap up every loose thread.

To tackle the characters stuff first, while the story started out strong, character-wise, as we got more into the thick of the resolutions to the various plot lines, the characterization began to fall through the cracks. I remember mentioning in my review of the second book that I was beginning to have minor quibbles with the character arch of Ren and Vargo, both having to do with the wavering of their characterization from the first book. Unfortunately, that was doubled-down on here. For his part, Vargo pretty much lost all of his moral ambiguity, instead reacting with nothing but love and understanding to almost every reveal sent his way. Which, sure, I want him to get all the found family connections he ultimately ends up with, but it was all just so…easy, no conflict to speak of.

For her part, Ren became the most special of all the special snowflakes by the end of this book. She was still a well-written character, unlike many characters who end up with this nickname given to them, but the problem remained. By the end of the book, a character joking introduces her listing off all the unique, important roles that she now inhabits. And while it’s played for laughs, it also unintentionally highlights the problem. Ren was at her best when she was a con woman, deftly navigating numerous roles and goals while also trying to balance the deeper feelings and connections she was developing with those around her. Here, after that first third of the book is done, we pretty much lose all of the cleverness or greyness of this character. Again, someone makes a joke at one point that Ren “saves the world through talking.” And it’s true! And that’s bad!! Especially because, for a character like Ren, if she was going to solve problems through talking, it should be through clever manipulation and schemes. Instead, the book devolves into numerous speeches about togetherness and understanding that miraculously solve pretty much every problem or conflict.

Further, some of the joy of the first two books was seeing Ren slowly learn to expand her understanding of family to characters like Vargo, Grey and the Traementis family. Well, here, that’s all blown out of the water by the absolute deluge of family units Ren finds herself apart of. The reason the ties between Ren, Vargo, Grey, and Traementis family worked was due to the sheer amount of page time devoted to developing them. These later connections don’t have that and also worked against these established characters, as we spent less time between the ones we care about, as Ren was overrun by the various family groups that now surround her.

And lastly, this book suffers from a severe case of “Return of the King” syndrome. You know what I’m talking about: a story that ends up with numerous, seemingly endless, endings. And here, it feels like the endings start up near the half way point! There was a lot that needed to be wrapped up in this book already. But the authors didn’t help themselves by adding new characters and new histories on top of what they already had to deal with.

Beyond that, there seemed to be an almost compulsive need to wrap up every ill that ever befell this world. And look, I don’t love grimdark fantasy, and I honestly think that the fantasy genre as a whole, and particularly epic fantasy, needs to come out of the haze inflicted upon it by “Game of Thrones,” the idea that a fantasy story isn’t “serious” if it isn’t full of horribleness and tragedy. So I applaud the authors for proving that this needn’t be the case.

Unfortunately, it feels like they went too far in the other direction! The main plots lines being wrapped up well? Great! But then it began to feel as if every character was being neatly paired up, every historical ill-doing was magically made right, and any point of character conflict was easily resolved with a few short words and a hug. And the magic system was totally abused in the service of this goal! Need some past wrong figured out? Something something magic! It all began to feel like too much. And with everything so, SO neatly resolved, it started to feel unrealistic, undercutting the real pain and heartache that was at the heart of all of the characters’ motivation, up to this point.

I think one of the strangest take aways from this book was the feeling that it was both too long and too short. Too long, because numerous scenes and plot points didn’t seem to go anywhere and could have easily been lifted (even while keeping the strong scenes between members of the core cast!). And too short because a full half of the book had to be devoted to wrapping up the entire trilogy with ending after ending coming in quick succession. Instead, had this been split into two books, some of these ending could have been dealt with in one book, leaving the others to the final book.

Wow, so this ended up being way longer than I had intended, but it turns out I had a lot to say! Overall, however, I still loved Ren, Grey, and Vargo. The love story between Grey and Ren is one of my favorites in a long time, and the writing across the entire trilogy was excellent. This one may trip a bit at the end, but it by no means undercuts the strength of the entire trilogy and my emphatic recommendation of it to all fantasy fans!

Rating 8: Too many endings and some wobbly characterization brought this one down a bit, but it was still a satisfying conclusion to an excellent trilogy!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Labyrinth’s Heart” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Renaissance and Tudor Fantasy and Genius Protagonists ( who DEMONSTRATE actual thinking in intricate plots).

Serena’s Review: “Silver Elite”

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Book: “Silver Elite” by Dani Francis

Publishing Info: Del Rey, May 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: The world is divided. On the Continent, you’re either a Prime—immune to the biotoxin that nearly wiped out the Earth’s population 150 years ago—or a Modified, one who was enhanced by the toxin, developing powerful psychic gifts.

As conflict rages between the two sides, Wren Darlington lives in hiding. Occasionally running the odd op for the rebel Uprising against the Primes’ oppressive rule, she must keep a low profile. After all, if the enemy finds out that she is a Mod with a staggering four psychic abilities, she won’t just be sent to the labor camps. She’ll be executed—immediately and without trial.

When a careless mistake puts Wren in the crosshairs of the Continent’s military, she is taken captive and forced to join their most elite Silver Block. Unwittingly, they’ve handed her the perfect opportunity for the Uprising to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks. That is, if she can keep her powers hidden, survive training, and prove herself to Cross Redden, her maddeningly cocky commanding officer.

Despite the explosive chemistry between them, Cross doesn’t trust her—even as he seems determined to destroy the remaining shreds of Wren’s self-control. Yet as the war between Primes and Mods escalates, and as Wren and Cross find themselves unable to stay away from each other, they must decide how far they’re willing to go for their secrets—and how much of the Continent is worth saving.

Review: While I love romance and romantasy, it’s always a breath of fresh air to wander into other genres. And while dystopian fiction had its day in the sun, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a title like this! However, my reading experience of this book was highly mixed. There were things I enjoyed for sure, but I also struggled to maintain interest at times.

Largely, I think this comes down to the balance between the romance and the dystopian aspects. This book promotes itself as slow-burn which I think is misleading. Perhaps I’m just a romance snob, but to me, slow-burn isn’t just “how far into the book does the sex scene happen” but instead refers to the slow development of interest/feelings which then leads to intimacy. Here, however, the book leans heavily into lust almost instantly, which very much turned off my slow-burn-loving heart.

It didn’t help that some of the “reveals” around the identity of one of the characters was telegraphed a mile away. I found that once I got further in the book and some of this information had come out, I was able to enjoy the romance more. That said, I never fully recovered from the instalust turn off, so by the end, the romance was solidly in the “meh” category. I also felt there were too many spicey scenes for my taste, leaning more heavily into the smut side of things, especially given some of the weaker aspects of the world-building as a whole.

The writing was approachable, but I also felt that it was a bit simplistic at times. The tone often didn’t seem to match the serious nature of the world that was being describing, coming across as far too unserious for the situations on hand. Similar to the reveals regarding characters, many of the plot points were very familiar. Again, this can be comforting for some readers who are more focused perhaps on the love story than the over-arching plot. But for me, it was a definite let down. Pacing-wise, however, it was fairly steady throughout. And readers who enjoy more straight-forward writing may be less put off by the writing style. For me, it came across as a bit too juvenile for an adult book.

This is a hard one to rate. I personally didn’t have a great time with it, as it felt very derivative and like something I had read many times before. That said, I also think it’s just the sort of story that will appeal to romantasy fans who are more interested in spice and the romantic plot line and who are looking for some more variety in their reading (after picking up the millionth dragon or Fae book). If the latter sounds like you, by all means, check this one out! But if you’re more interested in the world-building or the complexity of a dystopian novel, this might be a bit of a let down.

Rating 7: A bit too predictable in its plotting and its character reveals, but romantasy readers will likely still gobble this one up!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Silver Elite” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2025 Debut Novels.

Kate’s Review: “See How They Fall”

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Book: “See How They Fall” by Rachel Paris

Publishing Info: Scarlet, April 2025

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

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

Book Description: In this compulsive debut thriller set in Sydney’s wealthiest suburbs, one detective’s investigation into a family tragedy threatens to collapse a powerful dynasty. . . .

When Skye married into the wealthy Campbell family, she thought she was entering paradise. But lately, she’s been unhappy in her marriage to Duncan and hiding a few secrets of her own as she tries to maintain a normal, happy life for their six-year-old daughter, Tilly.

Now the family patriarch, Sir Campbell Turner, has died and his three sons are set to inherit the luxury goods empire upon which he built their fortune. But plans for a seamless handover are complicated when a fourth, hitherto unknown, heir named Cody comes forward. The Turners gather for an intimate weekend retreat at an opulent seaside estate in order to meet this newcomer and figure out their next steps. With so much at stake, tempers flare and egos clash within their first few hours together. But even as the tensions rise no one could predict that their very first night would end with a shocking poisoning that leaves one family member dead and another fighting for her life.

Sergeant Mei O’Connor is assigned to investigate the incident and though her superiors are keen to close the case as swiftly as possible, the evidence just isn’t lining up. Mei already has enough on her mind as she struggles to care for her terminally ill mother and recover from her broken engagement, but she can’t help poking around the Turners, convinced that there’s more to the suspicious poisoning than a simple accident. As Mei continues to push for answers, she may just send the carefully laid dominoes of the Turner empire crashing down.

Review: Thank you to SparkPoint Studio for sending me an ARC of this novel!

Hoo boy, buckle up everyone because I have once again brought you all a novel that has scummy rich people behaving badly! Nope, this trope still hasn’t gone out of style for me, and the more frustrated I get with real world examples of this, the more cathartic I find novels that center nasty wealthy sleaze balls and show them for what they are. So of COURSE I wanted to read “See How They Fall” by Rachel Paris! I like soapy thrillers, I like dysfunctional families, and I like murder mysteries. It was bound to be a winner.

The premise is simple. The Turners, a billionaire family still reeling from the patriarch’s death a few months earlier, are gathering with their loved ones for a weekend at a summer estate, with hopes of hashing out the inheritance, while also dealing with a new surprise heir in the form of an illegitimate son of the middle son, Duncan. During the weekend, one of the brother’s wives is dead, and Duncan’s daughter Tilly is hospitalized in grave condition, both victims of arsenic poisoning. Skye, Tilly’s mom, is desperate to find out what happened, while Duncan hides her away, and Mei O’Connor, a detective assigned to the case, starts to peel back the nasty layers of this wealthy family. Our mystery is mostly who poisoned Tilly and her aunt Nina, but as we see it through Skye and Mei’s perspectives, the mystery becomes more about what the family as a whole has to hide. It’s suspenseful, it has believable twists and turns, and it has high stakes with a little girl near death, her mother becoming more unhinged as more secrets come out, and our lead investigator finding lots of dirty laundry, therein putting a target on her back as well. The Turner Family is filled with complete sociopaths, and as the story continued the more tense I became, fearful for Skye AND Mei and what they may uncover. Paris has a lot of tricks up her sleeve, and many of them were pulled off seamlessly.

I also enjoyed the dual perspectives between Skye and Mei, as both of them have some really well constructed back stories, well thought out motivations, and their two takes on the story as it is happening complement each other as they each present different clues to the reader about what is going on and who could be behind the poisonings. Skye is deeply sympathetic as her daughter lies unconscious after being poisoned, and while her husband Duncan is lying, gaslighting, and hiding something from her, and trying to keep her from finding out family business that may or may not be tied to Tilly’s attempted murder and Nina’s actual murder. I was seriously worried for Skye as well as enraged on her behalf, and Paris nails the way that the most insidious of wealthy people will manipulate even those that they purport to love if it will keep power within their grasp. Mei, on the other hand, has problems of her own, and it makes this case deeply personal, whether it’s because she is still reeling from a break up with a manipulative jerk, or because when she was a child her younger sister went missing, and she sees her sister in Tilly. I really felt for her, and if there was a series following her as a detective I would definitely read it.

Overall, “See How They Fall” is fun, addictive, and an entertaining thriller. If you like the genre, definitely seek it out.

Rating 8: Lots of reveals, lots of scandal, and two interesting character perspectives make this book an addictive thriller.

Reader’s Advisory:

“See How They Fall” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists as of yet, but it would fit in on the list “Novels If You Like ‘Succession'” in the Goodreads article “What To Read Based on Your Pop Culture Obsessions”.

Serena’s Review: “Shield of Sparrows”

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Book: “Shield of Sparrows” by Devney Perry

Publishing Info: Red Tower Books, May 2025

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

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

Book Description: Long ago, the gods unleashed monsters upon the five kingdoms of Calandra to remind us that humans are insignificant—that we must pray to the gods for mercy throughout our fragile, fleeting lives.

I didn’t need a deity to remind me I was powerless. Being a princess had never been more than a performance—twenty-three years of empty titles and hollow traditions. My sister revels in the spectacle, basking in the attention and flawlessly playing her part. I was never asked to be part of the charade.

Until the day an infamous monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince walked into my father’s throne room and ruined my life. The day I married a stranger, signed a magical treaty in blood, and set off across the continent to the most treacherous kingdom in all the realm.

That was the day I learned that not all myths are make-believe. That lies and legends are often the same. And that the only way to kill the monsters we fear was to become one…

Review: I was approached by the publicist to read and review this book, so I’ll be honest, I knew next to nothing about it going in. I had the vague understanding that the author was fairly prolific in the contemporary romance world, but as I read very little of that genre, I’d never checked out any of her books. Beyond that, the book summary look interesting, but also fairly generic. Well, let this be a lesson to never write anyone off! This was one of those books where I ended up binge reading it late into the night over two nights total!

I’m always a bit nervous when an author unfamiliar to the genre decides to tackle fantasy. Will they understand the conventions of the genre? Will they be be able to add something unique and not become mired in generic tropes? I think these are valid concerns. But not only did Perry prove me wrong in these concerns, but I think she also highlighted a key factor in why the romantasy genre may need MORE cross-over authors.

Romantasy is a super popular, fairly new genre, and as such, publishers are whipping out new titles as fast as they can without a steady list of veteran authors to pull from. And over the last few years, this desire to catch the bandwagon has produced a run of books where it feels like debut authors were not given the proper editing support they needed or titles were picked up that really had no business being published in their current state. And lacking many veteran voices in the genre, this can lead to the feeling that the genre as a whole is a bit shaky as far as quality goes. Perry illustrates how an experienced author with numerous books under her belt can elevate even the most mundane romantasy tropes and produce a book that feels like a breath of fresh air to the genre!

So, now I’ve written several paragraphs and not really talked about this book at all! But let’s start with the characters. Right off the bat, I liked the variation in the main character from the typical leading lady we see. There are a million and one feisty, snarky, fighter FMCs in romantasy. Instead, we follow the overlooked sister, Odessa, who has her rather dull life already plotted out before her. So when she’s thrust into the role of new Queen and secret spy, she’s totally unprepared. And by that I mean…actually unprepared! She doesn’t suddenly reveal incredible powers of fighting prowess or the skillset to properly infiltrate a foreign nation. We see her flounder her way through the “spying” again and again, and the book devotes a healthy amount of time to her attempts to learn to fight. By the end of the book, it’s been months, and it’s clear that while she can now pull off basic moves, she’s by no means a powerhouse. Instead, her strengths are found in her resilience, her empathy for those around her, and her bravery in the face of a world of new dangers and unknowns.

I also really enjoyed the romance and the romantic lead! It’s easy for the readers to guess the real situation, but I particularly appreciated the care that was taken with the main character’s handling of this situation. Odessa’s attempts to balance her obligations, bond with the man she believes to be her husband, and deal with her growing attraction for another all feel believable and sympathetic. I’ve seen this sort of set up go very wrong in the past, and I was glad to see that avoided here.

I also have to give a shout out to the creativity and complexity to the plot line and the world-building. While there is a heavy focus on the romance, it’s definitely of the slow-burn variety, which leaves a lot of page time freed up. And instead of the fluff that I feel like I often see in books like this, here we get not only a rich world, full of creative and horrific monsters, but also a detailed history and political situation that took several twists and turns towards the back half of the book that I didn’t see coming! I was also impressed by the author’s dedication to portraying the horror that would be living in this world. There are terrible monsters filling this land, and that being the case, terrible things often happen to those who live in it. There were a few scenes that definitely had me tearing up! Again, it was gratifying to read a romantasy that took its world-building seriously, even when that lead to rough situations and scenes.

So, shocking no one at this point, you can see that I really enjoyed this one! It took me completely by surprise and now not only can I not wait for the sequel, but I’m even thinking about checking out some of this author’s contemporary romance books (if I can find the time to escape my massive TBR!). If you’re a romantasy fan who’s aching for a book with a bit more meat on the bones, this is definitely one to check out. That said, it does end on a cliffhanger of sorts, so go in knowing you’ll have a wait for any real conclusion (talking to my aunt here!)!

Rating 9: A perfect example of the highs that the romantasy genre can reach when in the hands of a skilled author! Swoon-worthy romance, rich world-building, and an fast-moving plot that doesn’t let up!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Shield of Sparrows” isn’t currently on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Romantasy TBR 2025.

Kate’s Review: “Murder Land”

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Book: “Murder Land” by Carlyn Greenwald

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, May 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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

Book Description: Murder Land opens tonight. Not everyone will survive. Buckle up for a thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.

Seventeen-year-old Billie feels like she is on top of the world. She gets to spend the summer with her best friend, sparks are flying with her crush, and she has received a promotion to ride operator for one of the most buzzworthy new attractions in the theme park she works at. But the first night on the new job takes a dark turn when her creepy coworker mysteriously dies…on her ride, when she isn’t authorized to be running it.

At first, it seems like he died by heart attack, but by the time she returns to the body with help, it looks like a broken neck. Had she just imagined him sitting upright a few minutes ago? It’s as if someone is trying to pin his death on her, and she has one night to figure out who is really responsible before she is blamed.

Billie recruits the help of her friends to sneak around the park after-hours and search for the truth. But as the night stretches on and more people wind up dead, Billie realizes she may not make it out of Murder Land alive. And her friends may know more than they’re letting on.

Review: Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an eARC via NetGalley!

Outside of Disney World, I am not REALLY a fan of theme parks. We have a couple here in Minnesota, there’s Valley Fair a bit south of the cities, and the Mall of America has Nickelodeon Universe, which my five year old loves and I only tolerate for her sake (also, here’s some lore: it USED to be called Camp Snoopy and was Peanuts themed, but alas, those days are long over). But even though I don’t really like theme or amusement parks, I do love the idea of a horror or thriller novel set in one. It just opens up so many different opportunities for suspense and horror. Because of this I was definitely interested in checking out “Murder Land” by Carlyn Greenwald, a new YA thriller that has a murderous night at a popular theme park as its premise. Nickelodeon Universe could NEVER. Plus I really like that cover. It just screams Santa Cruz Boardwalk by way of “The Lost Boys”.

No vampires, though. (source)

But promising premise and my own dorky associations aside, I am sorry to say that, for me, an old hat connoisseur of the thriller genre, “Murder Land” was a bit of a let down.

But first, the good. As I mentioned above, the premise and potential of this story is off the charts for me. There is a precedent in thrillers and horror stories for theme parks or carnivals or festivals to be unique and unsettling settings, and I, for one, wouldn’t be opposed to more of it. And that translates over to “Murder Land”, with clear homages to places like Knotts Berry Farm. And I always love a theme of greedy corporations hoping to hide scandals for profit purposes, and the conspiracies that can come to fruition because of it. And also, as a YA thriller, I could see this being a solid introduction to the thriller genre, as there is definitely a plotted out mystery that does feel planned and thought out. I also love a device that uses epistolary or ‘found footage’, so the way that we have transcripts from a website/channel that is all about the history of CaliforniaLand and references ‘urban exploration’ along with it. That all worked for me.

But, on the flip side, I am definitely not the target audience for this book, and I have read so many thrillers over the years, that nothing about “Murder Land” really stood out to me despite all of the potential that it had. I thought that our main characters, rounded out by protagonist Billie and her friend group Grace, Leon, and Sawyer, were pretty cookie cutter in their personalities and their relationships with each other. We have a bit of a love quadrangle going on, which I can usually grin and bear if it’s basically sidelined, but within this story, taking place in ONE night with lots of death and murder and tragedy at hand, it felt clunky and out of place. I also felt that the way that the reveals were done, outside of a few in the transcripts, didn’t have that much weight. I think this is probably due to the fact that I wasn’t as invested in the story because I wasn’t as invested in the characters, but I DO feel like even if I don’t connect with any characters in a thriller I can still be, well, thrilled. And I wasn’t held in much suspense as this story was going. I do think that it’s very possible (maybe even probable) that if I was a teen reading this it would have worked better, but for this forty year old, it just didn’t click.

Overall I think that this didn’t work for me because I’m not the audience it caters to. “Murder Land” was a disappointment for me, but it probably won’t be for everyone!

Rating 6: This is a solid thriller for the age group it is intended for, but seasoned thriller fans in general may be a little underwhelmed.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Murder Land” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Releases of May 2025”.

Highlights: May 2025

Summer is so close we can taste it! We have a cabin trip planned with book club at the end of the month, the sun stays out later and later, and we have a few books that we are very much looking forward to as we start to march towards the changing season! Here’s what we are excited about this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “The Knight and the Moth” by Rachel Gillig

Publication Date: May 20, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I read “One Dark Window” back when it came out, but didn’t connect with it. From there, I watched the entire duology become something of a phenomenon within the fantasy genre and began to wonder if maybe it was just me?? That being the case, I was excited to see the author coming out with the start to a new duology, and this time debuting in adult fantasy fiction! Books that tackle destiny, prophesy, and free will are also often right up my alley, so I’m definitely excited to see what Gillig will do with these themes!

Book: “Anji Kills a King” by Evan Leikam

Publication Date: May 13, 2025

Why I’m Interested: It feels like it’s been too long since I’ve read a debut epic fantasy book, and this one looks just about perfect! Not only does it sound like it’s going to be a “travelling” fantasy book, of the sort where people trudge back and forth across the land ala “Lord of the Rings,” but who wouldn’t be interested in a book with this unique of a title and cover?! I really don’t know what to expect with this one, and that’s half the fun!

Book: “The Devils” by Joe Abercrombie

Publication: May 6, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Yes, yes, I’m one of those rare fantasy fans who HASN’T yet read a Joe Abercrombie book. Mostly this is become grimdark fantasy isn’t often my thing, and that’s what he primarily writes. But this one, with its focus on an oddball troupe of characters forced to march a would-be empress across a dangerous landscape sounded too good to resist! And who knows, maybe I’ll be a convert and will have an entire backlist of fantasy titles to check out! I’m a bit nervous about the large cast of POV characters, as that’s often a particular sticking point for me. But Abercrombie has to be as popular as he is for some reason, so I’ll trust that he has it well in hand.

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Bochica” by Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro

Publication Date: May 13, 2025

Why I’m Interested: This is the first of two Gothic haunted house tales that I wanted to mention this month, and this one has been on my radar for a long while. In 1920s Columbia a family moves into a huge and foreboding mansion called La Casona. They are haunted by visions and nightmares of an angry spirit trapped on the property, leading to tragedy when the mother falls to her death and the father tries to burn the house down with his daughter inside. Though she escapes, the daughter can’t forget, and finds herself back at La Casona, hoping to get answers about her mother’s death and her father’s actions. But whatever was there before is still there….

Book: “Lore Olympus: Volume 8” by Rachel Smythe

Publication Date: May 6, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I am still absolutely adoring this series by Rachel Smythe, and after reading and reviewing a book about the Persephone Myth in YA Fiction with my friend David for a classics journal I got all the more hyped for the newest Volume of the romantic and thrilling retelling of Persephone and Hades. When we left off Persephone and Demeter were on trial for the coverup they did of Persephone’s unapproved smiting of mortals, and now Zeus is going to have to render a verdict. But Hades will do anything to keep Persephone safe, and it will surely lead to a showdown between brothers that could wreak havoc on Olympus and beyond. Especially when a truth about Apollo is revealed.

Book: “The Manor of Dreams” by Christina Li

Publication Date: May 6, 2025

Why I’m Interested: This sounds like it has the dynamics of a classic haunted house story, with some shades of Hollywood secrecy and questions of identity and generational trauma. Vivian Yin is a lauded Hollywood starlet, who became the first Chinese American to win an Oscar for Best Actress, and who leaves an old and glamorous mansion behind when she dies. Her family expects to inherit it, but then another estranged family connected to the house pops up, staking their claim as per the will, and leading to both families moving in to fight it out on paper. But something is haunting the house, and things get to the point where the feuding families may need to band together to confront the presence as well as their own secrets and resentments.

Serena’s Review: “Last Chance to Save the World”

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Book: “Last Chance to Save the World” by Beth Revis

Publishing Info: DAW, April 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: After a few weeks trapped on board a spaceship with Ada (and, oh look, there’s only one bed), Rian has to admit that maybe Ada’s rebels have a point. The nanobots poised to be unleashed on Earth are infected with malware that will ultimately leave the residents of Earth in a worse position than they’re in now. But is it too late?

Ada and Rian arrive on Earth with little time to spare. Together, they have to break into a high-security facility and infect the nanobots with a counter-virus before they’re released in order to give Earth a fighting chance. And if Ada happens to notice some great tech laying around in this high-security facility she shouldn’t have access to and then happens to steal a bunch of it when Rian’s not looking? Well, he knew who she was before he teamed up with her. And if he wants it back, he’s going to have to catch her first. 

With countless twists and turns, this enemies-to-lovers slow-burn and high-tension romance plays on a Sherlock and Moriarity character dynamic rooted in science fiction with a heavy romance and mystery angle.

Previously Reviewed: “Full Speed to a Crash Landing” and “How to Steal a Galaxy”

Review: I’ve been really enjoying this series of science fiction/romance novellas, so it was with a heavy heart that I picked up this, the final one in the trilogy! But, like the ones that came before, it delivered on every level! And in many ways, this one was even more satisfying than the ones that came before as we finally got to see Ada’s long game come into play. By this point in the series, readers are familiar with not only Ada’s methods, but also the narrative tricks the author uses to emphasize the bewilderment that Rian must feel, tugged along mostly blind in Ada’s chaotic wake. And like in the first two books, it was incredibly gratifying to see everything slot into place, even if it was a bit easier to predict just what Ada was up to.

Instead, many of the new twists and turns and surprises came in the form of deeper reveals into Ada’s history. I don’t want to go into too many details, as many of the late-stage events are tied up in all of this, but I really enjoyed some of the new characters we met, and the ways in which they shone a light on Ada’s life and the shaping of her unique moral compass.

It was also nice getting to spend as much time with Rian and Ada together, more than we’ve seen in the previous books it seems. After now reading the last planned book in this series, I will say that I think these novellas will work better for science fiction/heist readers who also enjoy a dash of romance than for strict romance readers. For some of those readers, they may be a bit disappointed, as the series doesn’t adhere closely to all of the conventions of the romance genre that they might expect. That said, I think the ending for this trilogy was perfect, and really the only thing that made sense for these characters. Anything else would have compromised core portions of their identities in a way that I think would have undercut the excellent work that had gone into creating them.

I also really enjoyed the themes of environmental justice and the ways in which humanity has a tendency to hurt not only the world around us but everyone living in it. There was a short conversation about pigeons that really hit home in a way that was surprising, given that it was a…conversation about pigeons! And throughout, the balance between the exploration of these themes, the fast-moving action of the plot, and the quippy love story was all navigated expertly. I definitely recommend this trilogy to all science fiction/heist readers who are looking for a fun, fast series to consume!

Rating 8: Ada leaves a chaotic wake everywhere she goes, and Rian and the readers are just along for the fun that is the ride!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Last Chance to Save the World” can be found on this Goodreads list: Can’t Wait Books of 2025

Serena’s Review: “Behooved”

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Book: “Behooved” by M. Stevenson

Publishing Info: Bramble, May 2025

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

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

Book Description: Bianca knows her duty comes before her heart. So when the threat of war looms, she agrees to marry the neighboring kingdom’s heir. But not all royal weddings are a fairytale, and Prince Aric, Bianca’s betrothed, is cold, aloof, and seems to hate her on sight.

To make matters worse, on their wedding night, an assassination attempt goes awry―leaving Aric magically transformed into a horse. Bianca does what any bride in this situation would do: she mounts her new husband and rides away to safety.

Sunset returns Aric to human form, but they soon discover the assassination attempt is part of a larger plot against the throne. Worse, Bianca has been framed for Aric’s murder, and she’s now saddled with a husband who is a horse by day and a frustratingly attractive man by night.

As an unexpected romance begins galloping away with their hearts, Bianca and Aric must rely on each other to unravel the curse and save the throne.

Review: Right off the bat, the comparisons to “My Lady Jane” are inescapable! Who knew there could be two fantasy novels where the love interest is cursed to turn into a horse by day?? Unfortunately, while this one did have a few high points, I mostly set it down wishing that stupid Amazon hadn’t cancelled the “My Lady Jane” show!

I do think this book is at its best when it was leaning into its romcom elements. The absurdity, the banter, and the swift-moving romance are all best appreciated in line with tropes found romcoms. In these moments, the characters were amusing and the love story sweet, if a bit underdeveloped. On the other hand, I think the book struggled when approached from a fantasy perspective. There simply wasn’t enough “there” there. The magic system was incredibly ill-defined and there were many plot moments where, if you allowed your brain to turn back on, you’d be left scratching your head.

I also struggled to enjoy the main character. While I appreciate the author’s creation of a character who suffers from chronic illness, I think the execution was too heavy handed to be very effective. In the first few chapters, especially, it feels as if this is the only aspect of Bianca’s character that anyone cares about, including Bianca herself! It’s referenced a truly boggling number of times in a very small number of pages. Of course, this is an important part of her life and is a source of friction between her and her parents, who see this only as a weakness. However, I began to feel as if Bianca didn’t have anything else making up her character either, defining herself completely around this one aspect of herself, which seems completely contrary to how one should understand people who live with chronic illnesses.

I also struggled with the romance itself. Alas, the story leans heavily into the miscommunication trope, one of the banes of my existence. The wild leaps of logic were truly baffling at times. For example, on the night of the attack, Aric and Bianca are both attacked. But for some reason Aric goes on to think that Bianca was behind it all? And, as is so often the case with this trope, much of the confusion and animosity between them could have easily been solved with a few very short conversations.

Overall, this was an ok read. Strangely, this is one of those cases where I feel like the book would have been better served to have leaned more fully into the comedy aspects of the story. The attempts at serious fantasy elements or its handling of important themes all became stumbling blocks to my enjoyment of the book. That said, straight romcom readers may enjoy this one more than me! Especially if you don’t care as much about the fantasy portions of the story!

Rating 7: While the book did have some sweet and funny moments, I struggled to enjoy it due to its weaker main character and the heavy use of the miscommunication trope.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Behooved” can be found on this Goodreads list:2025 Cozy Fantasy Romance